


the more things change

by vuccijl



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Happy Ending, Twenties Beth, casual relationship turns into serious relationship, some angst mixed in for sure, thirties Rio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-07-30 15:21:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 61,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20099362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vuccijl/pseuds/vuccijl
Summary: AU. A twenty-six year old Beth turns down a marriage proposal from Dean and meets Rio that same night.





	1. Chapter 1

Beth Marks was a planner. She was responsible. Beth Marks was dependable and reliable and always there for you in a pinch. Beth Marks could be counted on. Beth Marks was smart and cautious and predictable.

Beth Marks was over it.

At twenty-six, Beth was tired of being the adult she was forced to be for as far back as she could remember. And when did this epiphany hit her? About an hour ago when her boyfriend of ten - yes, ten - years decided to propose.

What kind of person did it make her that she hadn't even expected it? When Dean had told her to dress up for their date that evening she had done so without question. Sure, it was slightly out of the ordinary but he'd been doing well at Boland Motors and she had just recently quit her boring, corporate job in Human Resources to focus on her own small business. She had started an Etsy shop a few years ago with handmade quilts and it had grown exponentially. With the popularity of Facebook and Instagram over the last few years business was booming. People would send her memorabilia, photos, and drawings and she would use those cherished items to make extravagant quilts, pillows, and clothing - really, whatever the client requested. She almost found it hard to believe that she had been able to turn her passion of sewing into a job that made her money but, here she was.

The point was, they  sort of had something to celebrate so while in hind sight the instruction to dress up was suspicious at the time it hadn’t been.

If you had asked her this morning she would have said that life was near perfect. Sure,  sometimes  she got the feeling that something was missing but who didn't? She had a doting boyfriend, a close relationship with her sister, the same best friend from high school and a career she loved that also paid the bills. Things were good.

And then Dean had gone and proposed in a crowded, public, French restaurant no less and suddenly things did not seem so great. In an instant, as a nervous, babbling Dean removed a ring box from his pocket and moved to get down on one knee, her entire world tilted on it's axis. Everything she thought she knew - every feeling she thought she felt - evaporated and suddenly she just could.not.breathe.

She had looked at Dean as though she was listening but in reality she hadn't heard a word he'd said. He had to prompt her back to reality after he'd made his proposal - and when she saw those puppy dog eyes and that big, goofy grin she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She pushed her chair back so quickly that it had knocked the one behind her but she couldn't find it in her to care. She'd rushed to the bathroom and although she'd never experienced a panic attack before she was pretty certain it had to feel something like this. 

Sure, they'd talked about marriage. For some reason though it had never seemed within reach. Marriage had always felt so distant, but maybe that was because they had been together for so long and once upon a time it  had  been far off. One second your graduating from high school the next you're in your late 20's and marriage is a thing you should be considering. 

It should have been on her radar, she realized now, but she'd been content with the way things were. She and Dean rented a small, two bedroom house in the Ferndale area of Detroit. Annie was in her last year of nursing school at Wayne State and Ruby and Stan lived ten minutes away, newly pregnant with their first child. She'd never known her father and her relationship with her mother was strained on a good day but she was used to that. Life was on track and settled and she should have been waiting for the other shoe to drop but she hadn't been prepared.

Why hadn't she considered the fact that Dean might be ready to take that next step? Why hadn't they discussed the future more? Had it just been assumed? Had Dean even considered the fact that she might say  no ? How had responsible, dependable Beth let it get to this point?

It had taken her longer than probably appropriate to pull herself together in the tiny, single stall bathroom and it wasn't until she heard Dean knocking on the door, calling her name, that she looked into the mirror. Her eyes were red, face blotchy and the black of her mascara had begun to rub off under her eyes. Her stomach was in knots and she dreaded having to open the door and face the man she knew better than anyone. This was the man that had supported her and cared for her and loved her without question for years. This was the man she shared a home with, a life with, and she had to go out there and tell him that she couldn't marry him and worse - she didn’t _want_ to marry him.

She knew he'd be surprised. She knew he was probably confused. She didn't blame him - why shouldn't he be completely thrown off by her reaction? There had been nothing in their life, in their relationship, that might indicate she wasn't completely committed to him forever. But - when she'd seen that ring box, when she'd seen him go down to his knee she had just suddenly known.

A decade spent together down the drain because of a gut feeling. He had been her first  everything. First kiss, first boyfriend, first date, first time, first love. Could she really go through life having kissed only one guy? She supposed she could. She supposed she wouldn't be the first to do it nor the last but...shouldn't she be more sure? 

At the moment, she wished she could call her best friend Ruby to get her opinion. She'd weigh the pros and cons with her. She'd even take Annie's opinion at this point although she knew exactly what her sister would say - "no fucking way do you marry that turd."

"Bethie?" She heard come from behind the door again and he sounded so resigned, so unsure, so  pathetic  and her heart broke.

She attempted to compose herself. She brushed her hair with her fingers, wiped the smudged makeup from under her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she opened the door to do something she might very well regret.

***

An hour later, Beth found herself wandering the downtown section of Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit that she and Dean often frequented on the weekends. She had sent Dean home without her - she didn't know where she went from here, all she knew was that she had just done the hardest thing in her entire life and she needed to be alone. She could have - probably should have - called her best friend or sister but she wasn't ready. Her heart told her she had made the right decision but her head wasn't ready to make it official. 

She came up to a bar, _Flip_, the massive sign read over her head. It was a bar she had passed a million times but never entered. It was a modern looking place, a place she most likely would not fit in and for that reason alone it was perfect. Besides, the one thing she was sure of was that she needed a drink.

The place was busy but not overly so and she easily found a seat at the bar. It was pushing ten o'clock on a Saturday night and she wondered where she'd sleep tonight.

"What can I get you?" Came a gritty voice from in front of her. She looked up and met the gaze of the bartender and her stomach flipped. He was...gorgeous. Her mouth went dry, her throat tightened and her hands  shook. What the actual fuck?

She cleared her throat and ordered herself to get a grip. How was it possible for one night to completely change the entire course of your life? Her reaction to the man in front of her had to be an aftershock from the Hell she'd just experienced. Did she even know how to function as a person that was not connected to Dean?

She shook her head to clear her mind and opened her mouth to order her usual glass of Pinot Grigio. Before she could get the words out he interrupted.

"Let me guess - Rosé? Chardonnay?" He suggested throwing a paper coaster and napkin in front of her.

She glared but tilted her head to the side to study him. What must he think of her? She knew what she must have looked like to him. She looked younger than her age and to him she probably looked like an innocent, church-going good girl with her long, strawberry blond hair, basic makeup and dainty gold necklace. The little, black dress she wore in and of itself could have come across as slightly sexy, especially with the way it extenuated her curves, but the cardigan she wore over it ruined  any  sex appeal she had going for her. She'd always been happy with her body, if not slightly embarrassed by her larger than average breasts, but she'd never been one to show off what she had. She'd never cared to.

The bartender held her gaze, a smirk securely in place and she suddenly felt the need to be someone else - or maybe, as she'd soon come to discover - the need to be the Beth she'd been keeping tucked away.

"Bourbon." She ordered attempting to sound more confident than she felt before adding,"Please."

His eyebrows shot up at her request but his smirk only grew. She noticed, not for the first time, as she stared back at him in an attempt to look all-knowing and confident, that he was handsome. Not classically so - more than handsome he was just plain hot. She didn't often notice the opposite sex. She supposed it mostly had to do with the fact that she'd been in a relationship for years but she'd just never cared to ogle the male species, maybe because her younger sister did enough ogling for the both of them. 

His hair was buzzed short, his eyes dark, his skin golden and tan. He was older than her but only by a few years if she had to guess. She moved her eyes downwards and stopped at the large, bird tattoo that covered the majority of his neck. She'd never cared for tattoos one way or the other but on him it just worked and she found herself wanting to get a closer look. He was tall and lean but muscular and if she had to conjure up the complete opposite person from Dean, this guy would be close.

"You ever even had bourbon?" His voice pulled her from her thoughts and she blushed when she realized he had been aware of her perusal. She could tell he was amused by her and that annoyed her.

"Yep."

"Got a preference?"

"The best you've got." Because, no, obviously she didn't have a preference. She'd literally never even uttered the word bourbon let alone drank it.

The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile but he turned to the lineup of bottles behind him. She chewed on her lip as she watched him grab a bottle and pour the amber liquid into a glass.

He turned back to her and placed the drink onto the coaster in front of her.

"Thanks." She mumbled, reaching out to take the glass from where he'd placed it. She touched her lips lightly to the tumbler and sipped. And she really  tried  not to grimace at the taste and she  tried  not to flinch at the burn in her throat as the liquid slid down but, holy shit, have you ever even tried bourbon? She had to assume it was an acquired taste because it was literally the most disgusting thing she had ever tasted.

She shivered, much to her chagrin, and placed the drink down in front of her. She lifted her eyes to meet his and the smug look staring back at her was enough to push her over the edge.

"I'm good here, thanks." She said, lacing her fingers together atop the bar, dismissing him.

"You waitin' on someone?" He asked, not taking the hint. There was an empty stool beside her but no she definitely was not waiting on anyone.

She shook her head and lowered her eyes to her hands.

"What's a girl like you doing here all by herself on a Saturday night?" He asked. He leaned down against the bar and the movement brought him closer to her. His hands were clasped in front of him and she'd never particularly noticed a person's hands but his seemed so...capable.

She wanted to ask him what kind of girl he thought she was exactly but stopped herself. Even though he annoyed her (that was mostly her own fault) and even though he seemed older than her and wiser and more experienced and _so_ not her type she was intrigued by him. She'd been singled for a total of seventy three minutes at this point so why wouldn't she be attracted to the first guy she met? Especially a guy so  not  Dean.

She turned her head to the right and then the left. The place was crowded but not packed and there were two other people behind the bar also filling drinks. She supposed she was stuck with him for the moment because she wasn't rude, she wouldn't ask him to go away, and to be honest, she didn't want him to. Whether it was simply because she didn't want to be alone or because she wanted to spend more time being the center of his attention, she wasn't sure.

"You really don't want to know." She mumbled finally answering his question and she forced herself to take another sip of the drink in front of her. It wasn't  quite  as bad as the first time around but yeah, still not great.

"Boss!" Someone called from the other end of the bar and she turned her attention in the direction it came from. The man in front of her stood up and she realized that  _he_ was the boss.

He glanced at her before walking away and she sighed. Better that way, she thought. She needed to drown herself in her sorrows anyways. She reached for the cell phone she had placed in front of her earlier and noticed a text from Dean and a text from Ruby. She opened Ruby's first:

_How was dinner? You guys still coming over tomorrow for brunch? _

She bit her lip and contemplated how to respond. She'd rather tell Ruby what had happened in person. If she texted her she'd want the details now and Beth wasn't sure she was ready for that. She did, however, need a place to stay tonight (and probably the foreseeable future for that matter).

_Not great. Mind if I come sleepover tonight?_

She considered ignoring the text from Dean but she had been the one to break his heart - the least she could do was answer him. 

_Can you please just come home so we can talk?_

She sighed and groaned. She placed the phone down onto the bar and dropped her head into her hands but not before taking a generous sip from her drink - practically draining the glass. It was getting easier to handle or maybe she was just getting desperate.

"Need a refill?" She heard from in front of her. Her head popped up and her eyes met his. She already felt a buzz in her head and a warmth in her belly from the alcohol. Smart, responsible Beth would say no to more but -

"Yes, please," She answered simultaneously pushing the glass towards him. Her phone buzzed and she saw Ruby's reply:

_Of course. What happened?_

_Explain tomorrow. Don't wait up for me. I'll use my key._

She'd leave it at that for now. She also sent a response to Dean to let him know they'd talk tomorrow. She moved to put her phone into her purse, effectively cutting off all communication for the time being.

Hot bartender/boss returned with her refill and she was proud of herself for her non-reaction to the burn this time around as she sipped. His eyes gleamed and she smiled back at him for the first time since she'd arrived.

"Thanks,  _boss_."

He chuckled and leaned onto the bar. "It's Rio, actually."

"Beth." She said quietly, pointing to herself. 

"You going to answer my question,  _Beth_?” He asked and why did she like the way he said her name so much?

She narrowed her eyes - what had been his question again?

"Whatchu doing here by yourself on a Saturday night?"

She nodded, remembering, and than groaned because she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about this to a total stranger or if she wanted to run far, far away. "I told you. You don't want to know."

"If I didn't wanna know I wouldn't have asked." And she did get that impression from him. The impression that he didn't do anything unless he wanted to.

By the looks of it, of him, he wasn't going to let this go and what was it they said about bartenders? That they were good listeners? Maybe talking to a complete and total stranger who was drop dead gorgeous and oozing sex appeal from every pore of his body would help make her feel better. "My boyfriend and I had dinner at Bistro 82 earlier." She finally said, referring to the restaurant just down the street. "He proposed."

He let out a whistle and a smile which she found inappropriate but also charming. "Guessin' you didn't say yes if you're here without him."

"Yep." She responded with a pop of her lips not bothering to elaborate.

"Must be a dumb-ass to propose without being sure you'd say yes." And he sounded so sure that she should have just agreed and moved on.

But she didn't. She groaned and rubbed her hands over her face as if she might be able to hide. "That's the thing - he probably was sure. I just - I shouldn't have been surprised but I was."

"You together long?"

"Ten years. Since high school."

"Damn, ma. That's cold."

She squinted her eyes at him trying to get a read on him. He was entertained by her and while she was glad she held his attention she didn't want to be some cute, little girl to him. Who was he to judge her, anyway? "Would  you  marry someone you weren't one hundred percent certain you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?"

His answer was in the shake of his head. He pursed his lips - his very full, red, extremely enticing lips - before he spoke. "I also wouldn't stay with someone for ten years if I wasn't sure 'bout them."

Beth rolled her eyes because yes, that was the easy answer. The answer that made the most sense but she'd be willing to bet he'd never been with someone like Dean. She'd fallen for him in high school - she'd been sixteen and he'd been a year old. She'd been dazzled by him and had jumped at the opportunity to date him. At that point her mom had not been much of a parent and Beth had practically raised Annie, six years her junior. She'd had acquaintances but Ruby was really her only true friend. The thought of dating the cool and popular Dean Boland was attractive to her for so many reasons. 

She'd fallen for him hard and he had seemed equally smitten. When he'd gone to the University of Michigan she'd stayed with him and followed a year later. They just fell into a life together so easily. They were comfortable together, they cared about each other and they respected one another but the more she thought about it the more she realized that there had never really been any passion between them. She’d never just  wanted him. She’d never felt any overwhelming desire to be with him. He was her friend, her best friend, but she was starting to think that wasn't even close to enough.

She wasn't really sure what had kept them together so long. Comfort? Fear? For years she had liked the idea of having someone to take care of her but really, had Dean ever actually taken care of her? She'd always been independent and she'd never relied on him for much - just to be there, really, and he always was. For the millionth time tonight she wondered why she was  just  thinking of these things. Had it really taken a marriage proposal to put things into perspective? 

"You shouldn't be so quick to judge something you know nothing about." And it was true, he shouldn't, but also her head was hurting from thinking so much.

"You don't gotta be so defensive. I just feel bad for the poor guy, is all. Can't be easy proposin' and gettin' turned down. Especially by you."

"You don't even know me."

"I know your type. And I know you definitely wife material. Poor guy probably don't know what hit him."

"Well, maybe I don't want to be wife material. Maybe I'm just realizing I don't know what the hell I want."

"Well, bourbon is a good place to start." He said softly, tipping his chin towards her empty glass. Her eyes met his and they held each other's gaze for a moment. He was impossible to read - what did he think about her? Did he find her attractive or did he just think she was some naive girl who didn't have a clue?

He stood up straight after a minute and rubbed his chin with his hand. She followed his movement finding herself completely mesmerized by him. He seemed so sure of himself. She liked that she couldn't read him, liked that she didn't know what he thought of her. She thought she might like the challenge of figuring him out. 

“I gotta get back to work.” He said as she noticed a couple sit down a few seats away from her. He noticed her frown and continued. “You good? Want any food? The kitchen's about to close but I can get you something quick.”

She turned down his offer but appreciated it nonetheless. She glanced at the clock on the wall in front of him and was surprised to see it was after 11. She should call an Uber and get to Ruby's before it got any later. She was sure that her friend was in bed by now - pregnancy had been rough on her so far and - especially lately - she had been exhausted. Beth was desperate to talk to her friend about what had gone down tonight but also, in some ways, not. Ruby wouldn't be able to understand or relate. Her relationship with Stan had been going on just as long as Beth and Dean's but it was just so different - so strying. Beth had been comparing the two relationships for years and she'd never matched up. She’d never exactly cared that Ruby and Stan seemed better suited than her and Dean but maybe she should have. Maybe she should have realized that she had  never  looked at Dean the way Ruby looked at Stan. Maybe if she would have paid more attention they wouldn't have gotten to this point. 

She sighed and searched for any sign of Rio so that she could pay her tab. She grabbed her wallet from her bag and placed it on the bar in front of her before finishing the rest of the bourbon in her glass. She didn’t hate it so much anymore.

A person sat down in the empty seat beside her and caught her attention. She turned to see Rio occupying the stool to her right. She smiled and turned so that her entire body faced him.

“I was just looking for you. I wanted to pay my tab.” She said, gesturing to her wallet.

“Nah. On the house. Let me buy you one more - I’ll join you this time.” He said it so casually but it surprised her that he wanted to share a drink with her. He didn’t give her a chance to say no, just waved down the other bartender and ordered two drinks - she assumed the same bourbon she’d been drinking - she’d have to ask him what it was so she knew for next time. 

"Don't you have to work?" 

"Naw." He said, tilting his head to the bartender in thanks as he placed drinks in front of them. "Perks of being the boss." 

She grinned and picked up her glass. He lifted his as if to cheers and she mirrored his action. They clinked their glasses together and neither's stare wavered as they sipped.

"Do you own this place?" She asked, interested in how exactly he was the boss.

He nodded and she watched as he trailed his finger along the rim of his glass. 

"I do." And he left it at that.

She wanted to push but he clearly didn't want to answer so she left it alone. They sat in silence for a moment, quietly sipping on their drinks. He watched the bartender work behind his bar and she glanced around at the restaurant which had gone from busy to almost empty in the time she'd been sitting here. 

She looked back at him and took advantage of the fact that he wasn't facing her. His elbows and forearms sat on the bar top, his fingers linked together. He was currently watching whatever sporting event was on the television above the bar. Her reaction to him surprised her. She couldn't figure out why she was feeling this way -would she have felt the same if she'd run into him yesterday? Did he feel the same pull towards her? Was that why he was having a drink with her or did he just feel sorry for her? 

Was  this  why she'd chosen to stay in a relationship for ten years? Just the thought of dating and figuring out the opposite sex and the anxiety it brought was enough to send her back into the arms of Dean.

"You're starin'." He pointed out, turning his head in her direction. He didn't seem mad about it, just curious.

"I think you're really hot." Her hand flew to cover her mouth the second the words left her mouth. Her entire body flushed red. He let out a laugh, loud and surprised, before he turned to her. The smile on his face was enough to make her want to simultaneously crawl into a hole and jump into his lap.

"Sorry." She said immediately, willing the flush in her cheeks to go down. "I can't be held responsible for what I say tonight I'm drunk on bourbon and the single life."

He laughed again and shook his head, clearly charmed by her. His eyes settled on her as if he was trying to figure out what to say next. His body still faced away from her but his head was turned in her direction and his eyes were dark. She fidgeted with her fingers in her lap and chewed on her lower lip as she waited for him to respond. Her knees pressed against the stool he sat in and if she pushed forward just an inch she would  almost  be able to feel the rough fabric of his jeans against her skin.

"So you don't think I'm hot, it's just the booze?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye. 

She rolled her eyes but couldn't quite meet his gaze. She was mortified but also excited at the prospect of telling this stranger exactly how she felt. "No, I definitely think you're hot I just would never normally tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Um, because it's not appropriate." 

"Fuck bein' appropriate. How's that been workin' out for you for the last ten years?"

And he made an excellent point. She flushed again, from the booze or the conversation she wasn't sure, and finally moved that inch forward so that the skin of her knee pressed ever so slightly against him. He looked down to eye her legs and she felt herself burning up under his scrutiny. She wanted him to touch her and it was such a sudden, unfamiliar feeling.

"What was your first impression of me?" She asked because she really wanted to know. 

He shrugged and finished off his drink before he answered. "Thought for sure you'd order a glass of wine."

She smiled slightly but it wasn't what she was looking for. "Yeah but what about  _me_?”

"Didn't think too much 'til you ordered the bourbon. Figured you was waiting on a date." He perched his elbow on to the bar, leaned his head into his hand and looked at her. 

His honesty was refreshing but she deflated because he really hadn't thought much of her at all. He hadn't seen her walk into the bar, looked at her and stopped dead in his tracks. She had looked at him and felt like she had been punched in the stomach. He looked at her and saw white wine. "I'm so boring."

He continued to watch her, his head in his hand and she could tell he was really examining her. She loved the way he was really looking at her. "Nah, don't do that. You're sexy as fuck when you ain't doubtin' yourself."

She perked up and he smiled when he noticed her sit up straighter. "So guys like that? Confidence?"

He arched an eyebrow at her in question.

"I'm doing research." She explained as though it were obvious. No time like the night of a life altering breakup to start taking notes for the future

He let out a breath as if he were asking himself how he'd gotten here but to her surprise he humored her. "Can't speak for all guys but I like a girl that knows what she wants. That don't play games."

"Which is not me."

He pushed his head off his hand and turned towards her. He had to move around her legs so that his knees spread apart around her her, one on either side. They sat facing each other now and it took everything in her not to look away from him. "You want me to like you?”

Her cheeks flushed bright red because yeah, she’d walked right into that one. She opened and closed her mouth unsure how to answer. Did she want him to like her? Yes but _why_? 

He let her off the hook which she was grateful for and responded to her comment about being a girl who didn’t know what she wanted. “Sounds to me like saying no to a marriage proposal is a good first step to figurin' it out. That's a fucking ballsy thing to do."

And she agreed it was a ballsy thing to do. Saying yes would have been easier and probably smarter but that didn't make it right. 

"You gotta figure out who you are without a boyfriend. You probably a badass, boss bitch and you don't even know it."

She laughed loudly, surprised but she appreciated his confidence in her even though she wasn't so sure. 

"You're very good at this."

"What's that?"

"Making me feel better. Making me feel like I did the right thing. I think I'm glad I came in here.”

He stared at her and she let him for a minute before she turned, nervous under his intense stare. She noticed, suddenly, that the restaurant was near empty. Waitstaff were left behind, one who currently stacked chairs onto tables.

"Oh my God, what time is it?" She asked, glancing at the clock. It was after midnight and she quickly made a move to pull her phone out of her purse. She had several texts from Dean which she ignored for the moment. She opened up the one from Ruby, sent ten minutes ago.

_"Where are you? You okay?"_

She quickly typed out a response and could feel Rio's eyes on her.

_Sorry!!! I'm good. I'll be there soon._

She dropped her phone into her lap and looked up. "You could have told me the place was closing."

"No big deal."

"I should go."

He nodded but didn't make a move to get up.

"I'm just going to use the restroom..."

He pointed his chin towards the back of the room in the direction of the bathrooms. She grabbed her phone and her purse and scooted off the stool. She walked quickly and could feel his eyes on the back of her the entire time. She breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into the quiet of the bathroom. She used the toilet and washed her hands before looking up into the bathroom mirror. She sighed, suddenly exhausted. 

Should she feel more sad? Had it just not hit her yet or was she taking this relatively well? Sure it had been her idea but shouldn't she feel some sort of loss? All she'd thought about since ending things with Dean was where she was going to live and if there was a possibility of kissing the man she'd been staring at for the last two hours. Was she some sort of psychopath for not being more upset or would it all hit her later?

She pushed herself off of the sink and pulled herself together. She'd order an Uber and head to Ruby's and put this long, awful day behind her. She pulled the door open and -

He leaned against the wall opposite her looking like a model straight out of a magazine. His dark clothing in the dim hallway made it difficult to see him completely but she knew he wore a smirk across his face. 

"You good, sweetheart?" He asked, curiously glancing in her direction. His eyes trailed the length of her from top to bottom and back up and her body burned like it had been set on fire. It was truly the first indication that he was into her and not just entertained by her.

"I'm good." She answered with a swift nod of her head but the crack in her voice betrayed her.

"Figure out what you want yet?” His voice was rough and gritty and she'd never considered that she could be so attracted to someone's voice. She looked at him and contemplated how to answer. Her first instinct was to respond with a joke, maybe tell him she was tired so her bed would be nice. And while it would be true it was also not the answer she knew he was looking for. 

She could turn it back around on him, ask him what he thought she wanted but while she didn't know him well she knew he wouldn't let that slide. He'd made it clear he didn't like games and she really didn't want to play them.

He waited and she watched and she could say her goodbyes, walk away and never see him again or she could just throw caution to the wind and not be smart, reliable, responsible, cautious Beth Marks for once. Tomorrow she would have to face the consequences of her 'no', talk to Dean, figure out her life but tonight -

"There is one thing I've been thinking about but -" She started and she forced her voice not to waver. She moved closer to him until she was standing only inches away. He continued to lean against the wall, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

He made a sound in the back of his throat - an acknowledgment of her words, an encouragement to continue. 

But she didn’t, not right away. She was too caught up in staring at his mouth. She had never felt this draw to someone before. She had never felt like this with Dean and it was scary and exciting all at one. Also, maybe it was all becoming _too_ much for her to handle all in one night.

“Everything you’re thinking is written all over your face.” He said huskily. He reached his hand up to brush a stray piece of hair behind her ear and it madd her move impossibly closer.

“So then you don’t need me to tell you.” And it was a relief that maybe she wouldn’t have to say the words. She should have known better though. She had already established that he wasn’t like Dean - he wouldn’t let her off the hook that easily.

“Nah, ma. I want to hear you say it.” His voice was low and smooth. 

She swallowed nervously and opened her mouth to answer. “I-“

“Hey, boss, we’re heading out.” Came a voice to their right. 

She chuckled and dropped her head forward so that it practically leaned against his shoulder. He reached his hands out, gripped her waist, and squeezed.

“A’ight.” He called back and they heard footsteps turn and walk off. 

Neither of them said anything, the moment ruined. She’d barely had the courage to tell him what she wanted before the interruption, any momentum was gone. His fingers squeezed again and she lifted her head to look into his eyes.

“You probably got some stuff to figure out, hm?” He asked quietly, so close she could feel his breath against her cheek.

She nodded because, yeah, she did.

“You know where to find me when you do.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think this would also be a good night to find a rebound for you.” Annie said offhandedly with a glance in Ruby’s direction. Beth looked back and forth between her friend and her sister before relenting with a sigh.
> 
> “A rebound?”
> 
> Ruby turned to stand at the island with her friends but let Annie do the talking.
> 
> “Ruby and I have been...discussing and we feel like it might be time for you to...get back out there.” Annie spoke hesitantly as if she knew the wrong words would send Beth into a rage.

It took her four weeks to be ready and in that four weeks she accomplished a lot.

The day after she had turned down Dean's proposal they had a long (read: very long) talk. Beth wished she could say they parted on good terms and with closure but it hadn't exactly gone that way. In fact, Beth had made the mistake of giving Dean hope that the relationship was not completely doomed. This had been the wrong thing to do.

Telling Dean she needed space and time to figure out who she was without him had somehow led Dean to believe that space and time would make Beth realize that she was making a mistake. The truth of the matter was, the more time apart she spent from Dean, the more Beth realized she had made the right decision - her and Dean were never, ever (ever) getting back together. 

She had to rip the band-aid off but she was dragging her feet. She hated hurting Dean, hated being the reason for his heartbreak, but the longer she put it off, the worse it got. 

Beth had packed up her stuff the day of their talk and moved into the finished basement of Ruby and Stan's house. It was a small space but she had enough room for her sewing machine, a small desk and her bed and that was really all she needed. Even though Ruby insisted she stay as long as she want, Beth had given herself six months to save up some money and find a place of her own. The Hill's baby would be born around that time and Beth refused to be under foot when her friends were adjusting to parenthood.

Business was going well and work kept her busy. Fulfilling orders and running her one man show was satisfying and a welcome distraction to the craziness in her life. She'd relished focusing on work and not a relationship. More than that, though, she had been focusing on _herself_. She'd taken up going to yoga and Pilates several times a week and had planted a small garden in Ruby's backyard - much to her friend's approval. She cooked dinner for Ruby and Stan several times a week to make herself feel better about encroaching on their space and she had taken to baking again - something she'd forgotten how much she loved.

Things were _good, _she was _happy. _The more time that went on the less she missed Dean and being tied to a relationship. She liked her independence, liked the person she was on her own. She hadn't noticed it but Dean had been suffocating. He meant well, he always did, but he was needy and spoiled and to be honest, Beth realized, he was draining. Shouldn’t relationships bring out the best in you? For so long she had lived to make Dean happy but she was coming to understand that what made Dean happy and what made Beth happy were two very different things. 

In all this time, as she figured out who she was and what satisfied her, a certain good-looking, bar owner never strayed too far from her mind. She didn't spend her time obsessing, didn't dream about him on the regular or constantly wonder what he was doing but he was always _there _nestled in the back of her thoughts, waiting for her to be ready for him. 

She hadn't told anyone about him, not even Annie or Ruby. She'd kept him to herself for the time being. To be honest, the morning after meeting him she had wondered if she'd made him up. Her reaction to him, her feelings for him, had been so sudden and unexpected that they almost didn't feel real. Had she really felt something for Rio or was it just that he was the first guy to give her attention after a breakup? In the back of her mind she knew the answer but she couldn't be sure and she gave herself four weeks to prepare herself to find out.

"I turned twenty-one a whole week ago and you two still have not gone out to celebrate with me." Annie said with a pout. She sat at Ruby's kitchen island and watched as Beth and Ruby prepared a taco dinner.

"I'm pregnant, Annie." Ruby stated pointedly and Annie rolled her eyes. 

"I'm aware and I'm not sure what kind of excuse that is. You're not incapacitated you can still go out and celebrate with me."

"Why can't we just celebrate tonight with tacos? I'll even have a shot of tequila with you." Beth said trying to placate her sister. 

"How about we celebrate tonight with tacos and tequila _and _go out on Friday night to celebrate." Annie answered with a smile that left no room for discussion. 

"Didn't you already go out and celebrate with Greg and your friends from school?" Beth asked as she chopped a tomato.

"Um, yes. Now I need to celebrate with my family!" Annie replied as if it were obvious. She was in nursing school at Wayne State University and currently lived in the dorms. She'd been seeing a guy named Greg that Beth had met a handful of times. He seemed nice and he genuinely seemed to care about Annie which was all Beth could ask for - didn't hurt that he was getting a college degree and _not_ on parole like the last guy Annie had dated. 

"Fine, I'll go." Ruby relented as she stirred the taco meat on the stove. "But I'm not staying out late and I'm _not _holding your hair back when you puke."

Annie waved a hand in the air as if to say that was ridiculous. "I'm twenty-one now, I don't puke."

Beth laughed and let out a snort because her sister was truly a riot. She often times wondered how they could be related. There were not two more different people on the planet. Beth had come to learn that it was because of their differences that they were so close. They balanced each other out and even though Beth had spent years practically raising her sister, more recently they were feeling like sisters, like friends, rather than the mother/daughter relationship it had felt like for so long.

"I assume you didn't mention that to Greg when he was taking care of you last weekend?" Beth asked with a smirk. She turned to grab the tequila bottle out of Ruby's alcohol cabinet and grabbed two shot glasses on her way back to where Annie sat.

"Trust me, Greg wasn't complaining too much last weekend." Annie winked dramatically at her sister earning an eye roll from both of the women in front of her. 

"Please don't get pregnant." Beth begged and it was a joke but also, it wasn't. 

Annie choose to ignore her comment and reached for the tequila bottle. She poured two generous shots and waited as Ruby sliced a lime for her friends.

"There's this bar and restaurant in Royal Oak we should go to. It's called _Flip_." Beth said with a shrug, trying her best to act casual although there was no reason for Ruby or Annie to be suspicious of her suggestion. 

"Yes! I like your thinking, B." Annie said enthusiastically as she jumped up and clapped her hands together, pleased that her sister was planning another celebration for her. 

Beth pushed a shot glass and lime in front of Annie and picked up her own. 

"I think this would also be a good night to find a rebound for you." Annie said offhandedly with a glance in Ruby's direction. Beth looked back and forth between her friend and her sister before relenting with a sigh.

"A rebound?" 

Ruby turned to stand at the island with her friends but let Annie do the talking. 

"Ruby and I have been...discussing and we feel like it might be time for you to...get back out there." Annie spoke hesitantly as if she knew the wrong words would send Beth into a rage. 

"Back out where exactly?" Beth deadpanned because she really didn't want to be having this conversation but when Ruby and Annie were on a mission there was little room for argument. 

Ruby interjected. "Maybe just talk to a guy, flirt a little. Ease your way into the world of dating." 

"I'm not interested in another boyfriend. I'm enjoying not being in a relationship."

"Not a boyfriend. A _rebound_. Dating casually. _Sex_." Annie said speaking in slow, quick sentences as if Beth would not understand otherwise. 

Beth turned so that she was speaking directly to Ruby, the more sensible one in the room. "You want me to find a guy to have sex with." 

Ruby scrunched her face up in thought. "Just see what's out there is all we're saying. Have some fun. You don't have to take the first guy you meet home or anything.”

And the fact that Ruby's comment was incredibly ironic without her knowing it left a pit in Beth's stomach. Because _how close_ had she been to taking home the first guy she'd seen?

Beth lifted the shot glass in her hand to her lips and downed it, ignoring Annie's protest about taking it without her. Served her right. 

***

Five days later, Beth, Annie, and Ruby sat at a high top table at _Flip _and lifted their glasses for the hundredth time at Annie's insistence. She went back and forth between proposing a toast to her birthday and to Beth's single life and each time the girls laughed and humored her.

They had ordered appetizers and were currently on their first round of drinks. Ruby was being a saint as she sipped on her club soda. 

They hadn't been there for long but Beth had yet to lay eyes on the reason she had really suggested they come here. She felt like she was acting dodgy and suspicious but neither Annie nor Ruby had caught on yet. She wondered what she would do if he didn't make an appearance - would she come back again or move on and keep him as a fond memory? 

Their waiter came over and placed several appetizers in front of them. It was on the tip of Beth's tongue to ask about Rio but how would she explain that one? She wasn't drunk enough - yet. 

"Can I get you another round?" The waiter asked and Annie nodded emphatically with a thumbs up before Beth could even answer. 

"Still can't believe you're drinking bourbon." Annie said as she took a large bite of the flatbread in her hand. 

Ruby nodded in agreement and stuck her tongue out in disgust. Beth didn't take her reaction too personally - everything made Ruby sick these days. 

"I'm trying new things." She answered with a shrug, finishing off the last of the bourbon in her glass before she picked up a nacho off the plate in front of her. 

"I'm all for that, sister." Annie answered through a mouthful of food. Ruby threw a napkin in her direction and she laughed, spitting out food in the process. 

"You're disgusting." Ruby said with a sneer but her eyes were bright with laughter. 

The girls sat in silence for a minute, eating and drinking and taking in the activity around them. 

"OK, how about him?" Annie said nodding in the direction of the bar. They had been playing this game since they had walked in. Annie or Ruby would pick out a guy and Beth would find some excuse to turn them down. Beth and Ruby turned to look at who Annie was referring to. 

"He's wearing a pink shirt." Ruby said, her nose scrunched up. 

"Dean wore pink shirts." Beth said. She let her gaze linger for a moment on the profile of the guy Annie had pointed to but there was no interest on her part.

"Ugh, you're right, forget that." Annie answered glancing around some more. She had never been a fan of Dean in all the time Beth had been with him. As a kid she had thought all boys were gross but as she'd gotten older she'd continued to dislike him. She'd never really been able to give Beth a reason why - said she didn't need one - and Beth wondered what might have happened if she had taken Annie's feelings more seriously.

It was at that moment that their waiter returned, drinks in hand, and changed the course of Beth's night. 

"This round is on the boss." He said, setting a glass of bourbon in front of Beth, a martini in front of Annie and a club soda in front of Ruby. 

"Oh! Who's the boss? Does he know it's my birthday?" Annie asked, popping up in her seat, her eyes doing a sweep of the place. 

Beth's stomach dropped because she _knew _who the boss was and she could suddenly feel his gaze burning a hole in the back of her neck. She turned, and her mouth went dry. Was it possible he was even better looking than she remembered? No question she was attracted to him - unbelievably so. She swallowed at the look he gave her, his eyes were dark and never left her face. She sat there, staring, unsure of what to do next. He tilted his head to the side, waiting for her to make a move.

A throat cleared behind her and she turned. She'd forgotten where she was, who she was with, and if the looks on both Annie and Ruby's face were any indication she was about to be interrogated.

"Do you _know _him?" Annie asked in disbelief moving her gaze from Beth to Rio and back again. 

“Is he still looking?" Beth asked quietly ignoring her sister's question.

"I would not call that _looking_. He’s...eye fucking." 

"Annie!" Beth exclaimed, flushing as if he could hear every word. Beth looked to Ruby for some help but didn’t get it. 

"She's not wrong." Ruby pointed out quietly, looking over Beth's shoulder in his direction. 

Beth sighed because she knew she owed them answers but it would take a lot longer to explain to them then she currently had the energy for. Plus, she just really wanted to talk to him.

"Just give me a minute." Beth said, moving to slide off her seat. 

"Girl, you are _not _leaving us hanging right now." Ruby said her eyes wide. Annie nodded in agreement.

"Just give me five minutes!" Beth pleaded, desperately. The two women in front of her didn't push but she could feel their eyes on her back, the questions in their heads, as she walked over towards Rio. 

He stood behind the bar, leaning against it, his forearms propping him up. His smirk was just as she remembered it and she felt the butterflies in her stomach swarm the closer she got. She forced herself to stay confident, be the boss bitch he had said she could be. His eyes skimmed the length of her as she walked towards him and Annie was right - he _was _eye fucking her. 

She cleared her throat as she approached and shimmied her way through two empty barstools to stand. 

"Hi." She greeted and surprisingly her voice didn't shake. 

He tipped his chin up in acknowledgement but didn't say anything.

"Thanks for the drinks." She said because what else could she say when he was looking at her like that?

"Didn't think I'd see you again." He finally said and she practically melted at the sound of his voice. She was a goner. No question the attraction she had felt a month ago had been real - if anything, it was more intense than ever.

"I wasn't sure you'd remember me.” 

He chuckled as if she was being funny and she watched him stroke the scruff at his chin. "Guess I got a good memory." 

She didn't respond, didn't know how to. 

"Your girls are staring hard right now.” He pointed out, eyeing the table she had just walked away from.

"Yeah, they have no idea what's going on. We're celebrating my sister's birthday." She said as if it was no big deal that she found herself in his place of employment. 

"So, just a coincidence you ended up here?” He asked the question innocently enough but she knew he was teasing her.

She shook her head but no words came out. 

He hummed in interest before standing up straight. "Finish up with them and then come hang out with me."

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. She hoped he didn't notice that she was caught off guard but the twitch of his lips indicated otherwise. 

"Hang out with you where?"

He tilted his head to the back corner of the restaurant where a few pool tables lined the back of the room. "We can play."

"I have no idea how to play pool." 

He shrugged as if that didn't matter. “I’ll teach you."

And so she returned to her table to face the firing squad that was her sister and her friend. She answered every question they threw at her, filled them in on the night she’d met Rio and the instant attraction she had felt. How she'd been _so _close to kissing him but so grateful that he had stopped it from happening. She hadn't been ready then. She thought she might be now. 

She enjoyed dinner and another round of drinks with her friends but she was anxious to get to the next part of her night and they could tell. She tried not to look for Rio at every possible second but couldn't help herself from knowing exactly where he was at all times. He seemed to have a hand in every aspect of running the restaurant. He was a boss in all forms of the word - he clearly ruled the place and had the respect of his employees and it made him that much hotter. 

Annie gave her a slightly hard time when she'd turned down another drink and asked the waiter for the check but Beth could see the gleam in her sister's eyes. Thank God she was ditching her for a hot guy - Annie _never _would have let this slide with Dean and Beth wondered if she'd just been biding her time, waiting for Beth to figure out he wasn't the right guy for her.

They paid their bill and Ruby promised to get a seriously buzzed Annie home safely. Beth hugged her friend and her sister, squeezing tightly before letting each of them go. Annie attempted to whisper but didn't succeed when she told Beth to "make good choices" and "not do anything she wouldn't do." Beth threw her head back with a laugh and shooed them away before making her way towards the restroom. She hadn't seen Rio in a while now and wondered where he had gone. 

She found out minutes later when she exited the bathroom. There he stood, just like last time, waiting for her. Had he been watching her all night, waiting? She hoped so.

"I'm having deja vu." She said with a smile as she approached him. She felt slightly less nervous than when she had spoken to him earlier. Getting the first interaction out of the way had helped - so did the several drinks she had since consumed. 

"You ready?" He asked but he didn't make a move to touch her like last time. 

She nodded and followed as he turned to walk towards the pool tables. It was after nine on a Friday night and the restaurant was crowded. The tables were mostly full and the bar was busy with people looking to let loose after a long week. There were four pool tables, only one currently occupied. Rio chose the one furthest away from the crowd.

"This place seems to do well." She said as he filled the rack with balls. It was small talk but the silence was killing her.

He nodded but didn't look at her. "This one is definitely the most popular.” 

It was comical how he spoke like she had any clue what he was talking about. She narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "how many places do you have?"

He laughed and removed the triangle from around the balls before he handed her a cue stick. "A few."

"So that's what you do? You like...own restaurants?"

He shrugged nonchalantly as if it were no big deal. "Among other things." 

Again she narrowed her eyes but he moved around the table to line up his shot, effectively ending the conversation. 

"You ever play?" He asked motioning towards the table.

She shook her head and balanced her weight on the stick in her hand.

He leaned over the table to line up his shot and she licked her lips as she memorized every angle of his body. Beth quickly decided he could make anything look sexy including a game of Billiards. Her mind was suddenly filled with every dirty thought imaginable. How was it possible? That one guy could make her into a complete and total minx. She had never had one single, filthy thought about Dean and yet here she was drooling over a perfect stranger. The very _idea _of him pushing her up against that pool table and -

"Remember the night we met I told you everything you were thinkin' was written all over your face?" Her eyes swung back to his. He still leaned down over the table, set up for his shot, but his eyes were dark and burning through hers.

She nodded and bit her lip.

"Same goes for now." His voice was raspy and her cheeks were flush and the tension could be sliced with a knife.

"You gonna shoot?" She asked and she wasn't sure how she stayed calm, how she didn't jump his bones but he smirked and returned his eyes to the cue ball in front of him. He pushed the stick so that it met the white ball, effectively breaking the triangle of colorful balls at the opposite end of the table. Stripes and solids moved all around, one sinking into the corner hole.

"I'm stripes." He said, as if that meant anything to her. 

"My turn?" She asked, stepping up to the table. 

"Sure."

She attempted to imitate the position he had just been in but the stick was long and awkward and she really had no idea what she was doing.

"You want to shoot for the solid balls." He directed from right behind her and when had he gotten there?

She nodded and squinted her eyes as if to get a better view. There was one ball she thought she might be able to easily get in but -

He grabbed her hips and it took everything in her not to shoot up at the feel of his touch. His hands slid up slowly, leaving goosebumps along their trail, until he grabbed her arms. "Hold it like this." He said, positioning her hands so that she gripped the stick at the top and bottom ends. Her ass was sticking out and God, had he done this on purpose? He stood directly behind her and just an inch further back would bring her into contact with his front. She bit her lip hard and tried really hard to focus on the game. His hands moved back down to her waist and he lingered there for a second before stepping away. 

She mimicked what he'd done earlier but the cue ball went in the exact opposite direction than she had planned. She stood up straight and turned to look at him. His smile was contagious and she laughed. "I suck."

"I told you I'd teach you." And he did. They went back and forth a few times - he always made his shot, she never did, and it slowly became clear that she was awful at the game but that didn't stop her from having fun. Rio took every opportunity to touch her and she let him. They spent an hour teasing each other, flirting and really, in Beth's mind at least, the entire game was one big round of foreplay. At one point, she _did _inch backwards so that her ass brushed his groin and the soft groan he let out, the way he tightened his hold on her hips, had made the nervous feeling in her stomach so worth it.

A waitress had brought drinks over to them and she sipped on hers as she watched him shoot the eight ball into the middle hole. 

"I have no idea how you managed to beat me." She said sarcastically, a twinkle in her eye and he smirked as he placed the stick onto the table. He made his way over to where she stood perched against the wall. The tables had cleared out and they were alone in the corner of the restaurant. He took the glass of bourbon from her hand and placed it on the table beside them. 

"You were right, you do suck." He mumbled, staring at her lips. She licked them, whether consciously or not, and he lifted his thumb to brush the path her tongue just had. 

"Maybe I need a better teacher." She answered quietly. He pushed a piece of hair out of her face and then caged her in against the wall, one lean but strong arm on either side of her.

"You figure your shit out?" He asked, changing the subject to the topic they had been avoiding until now. His eyes moved up to hers and she found it almost impossible to form a coherent thought, let alone speak, when he was looking at her like that so she nodded and attempted to swallow down the lump in her throat.

"Still no boyfriend? No wedding in your future?" He pressed closing the space between them.

She shook her head.

"Did you come here tonight to see me?"

She nodded and he squeezed because he wanted to hear her say it. 

"Yes." She answered breathlessly and before he could ask another question, before he could make the first move, _she did_. 

She pressed her lips firmly to his and her first thought was how different it felt compared to kissing Dean. Different in a way that made her angry because for years she'd been missing out on _this_.

She pulled back and stared at him and she could see he was wrestling with himself, trying to decide _his _next move. She breathed heavily and waited and practically moaned when his mouth descended on hers, hard and rough. His teeth took her bottom lip, nipping gently but also, not. There was _nothing _gentle about him.

It took everything in her not to lose her cool at the sensations she was feeling. His tongue slid between her teeth, his stubble rubbed against her face, his breath hot against her lips. This wasn't a kiss, not one she'd ever experienced before. This was all-consuming, pure domination. Her hands pulled his waist closer, as if there were anywhere left to go and she gave herself to him, fully and completely. They collided and fought and _fucked _with their mouths. It was exactly what she would expect from someone like Rio. 

In the back of her mind she was aware that they were in a busy restaurant. Although hidden, anyone could wander over at any moment. She couldn't find it in herself to care when his mouth, lips, tongue were everywhere, hot and hungry. His hands moved from where they had been leaning above her against the wall and cupped her face on both sides to get a deeper angle. She fisted his t-shirt in her hands and let him continue to lead. 

All she could think was that she wanted _more, more, more _and it was like he could read her mind, or maybe he just felt the same way, because he pulled back briefly before he trailed a path down along her jaw and explored her neck. His hands skimmed the sides of her ribs and slipped under the hem of her shirt at her backside. His fingers burned a path across her skin and it took everything in her not to wrap her legs around his waist and _beg_. How would she ever get enough?

Before she could calm her thoughts he pulled away suddenly.

"Elizabeth." He mumbled gruffly, his voice sounded like pure sex, and it wouldn't be until later that she could even process the fact that he had used her full name. 

"Mmm?" Beth asked. She licked her lips and then studied his - swollen and red and before she even knew what she was doing she was leaning forward to kiss him again. 

He let her for a minute but pulled away again and this time she groaned. 

"I'm not looking to put on a show in my place of business." He teased but his hands stayed put, resting on her lower back underneath her shirt.

She pouted, her eyes roaming his face. "No one's paying attention."

"They will be when I started fucking you on that pool table." 

She flushed bright red from her chest up to her scalp because that had been _exactly _what she had been so close to begging for. She'd never known someone like Rio. Dean had never talked to her this way and it surprised her how much she liked it. 

She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it because she didn't know what to say - a common occurrence when she was around him. She knew what she _wanted _to say - she wanted to tell him to bring her somewhere more private, his office, his house, his _car, _anywhere that they could pick up where they'd left off would be fine with Beth. He seemed so...unaffected and she wondered how many kisses he had experienced like the one they'd just had.

She dropped her hands to her side and looked anywhere but at him. She felt silly suddenly - she was experiencing all these new feelings with him and for all she knew this was just another Friday night for him. She wasn't looking for another relationship, definitely wasn’t looking to fall in love with him, but she was interested in exploring this...chemistry. Was she supposed to make him work harder for it? He'd been the one to tell her he didn't like games, liked girls that went after what they wanted. Should she do that or should she follow his lead? How the _hell _did girls do this? 

He started to say something but footsteps and a throat clearing to their left had both of them turning their heads.

"What's up?" Rio said to the guy who had just come over to them. He still didn't move away from her and she had a hard time focusing on anything but his touch. The guy had a shaved head and tattoos covering his arms. He was intimidating, no doubt, and Beth wondered if he was some kind of bouncer or something. 

"Problem with the..." He trailed off eyeing Beth before he finished, "delivery."

Rio lifted his hand and scratched his chin in thought. He groaned in frustration and Beth watched his mood go from ready to fuck to ready to kill in five seconds flat.

"Why do I hire you guys if I gotta take care of everything myself anyway?" Rio responded after a moment of thought and Beth studied his face, fascinated at the way he could sound so eerily calm and extremely pissed at the same time.

The tattooed, bald guy held up his hands in surrender not looking the least bit alarmed by Rio's attitude. "Take it up with Demon - I'm just the messenger."

"I'll be right there." Rio said, turning his attention back to Beth. The answer didn't satisfy though and Rio's employee didn't leave.

"What should I tell the..." His gaze flicked back to Beth again, "delivery driver?"

Rio's jaw clenched and he narrowed his eyes. "Tell him I'll be right there."

The warning in his voice was obviously enough because the man who had interrupted them walked away, leaving Beth and Rio alone again. Beth studied him and willed the tension to go away but Rio was agitated and she knew that their moment was over.

"Not easy being the boss, huh?" She joked, attempting to lighten the mood. Could a messed up delivery for what? Alcohol? Food? Napkins? really be reason for such anger?

"I gotta go take care of some shit." He answered ignoring her joke and she wanted the Rio from ten minutes ago back. The one who had laughed at her trying to play pool, the one who had kissed her so hard, so intensely that she wasn't sure she'd ever recover.

"Should I stick around?" She asked quietly and she hated how weak and pathetic she sounded but she didn't want to leave - wasn't ready for this night to end. 

He shrugged, moving away from her, already miles away from the room they were in. "Could take a while."

"Ok." She relented because she couldn't tell if that was a “yes, stay” or a “no, get the hell out.” She didn't have anywhere to be, wouldn't mind waiting, but she wouldn't tell him that. She had reached her pathetic quota for the night. 

They stood in silence for a minute. Not for the first time she wished she could read his mind. She might be an open book to him but he was glued shut. She grabbed her purse from the table she had set it down on earlier and sat the strap across her shoulder. She turned to face him and forced a small smile.

"Thanks for the lesson." 

He nodded, hands shoved into his pocket. She could tell he was distracted and so she went to move past him and he _let _her but she stopped in her tracks before she could get any further, turning.

"So that's it?"

He raised his eyebrows at her in question but didn't respond. 

Her arms flailed into the air in frustration and she blew out a breath. "I thought you seemed pretty into what we were doing before we were interrupted. Was I imagining that? Do you just go around telling girls you're close to f-” she paused because she couldn’t say it, “having sex with them on a pool table and then let them leave without even getting their number?" 

She was surprised at her outburst, at the fact that she was letting him see her frustration and she could tell he was surprised as well. That or amused - probably a bit of both.

"I'm pretty good at tracking people down...I woulda found you." 

She narrowed her eyes at him, because, _what_? 

"Am I just a game to you? Something that amuses you?" 

"You're getting worked up over nothing, sweetheart." She saw his jaw tick and she couldn’t understand how _he_ had any right to be mad. She hated nothing more than condescension and he wreaked of it. 

"You're an asshole." She could have said it a little more meaningfully - wasn't convinced of the fact herself - but if his complete disregard to her name calling was any indication it wasn't the first time he'd been called that. She continued before he could get a word in, "You told me to come find you when I was ready. I did that. And at the risk of sounding like a stupid girl with a crush I'm pretty sure you enjoyed that kiss as much as I did." 

She forced herself to stay strong, to not wilt under his heated gaze. She'd never taken charge with Dean, never stood up for herself and she'd never make that mistake again. 

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

Her body deflated and she wondered where, _how_, things had gotten so twisted. They were clearly on completely different pages. Was that her fault? She thought no but -

"What, exactly, do you not want me to get the wrong idea about?"

"What this is." He said simply, gesturing between the both of them with his hand. 

She rolled her eyes because what a typical guy response. "I just turned down a marriage proposal. I just got out of a_ ten year _relationship. What do you think I'm looking for here?" 

"Girl like you gets kissed the right way for the first time in her life... " He shrugged before continuing, "might get stars in her eyes or somethin'." 

She wasn't even going to touch his 'girl like you' comment. She could only focus on one thing at the moment. "You really are the most presumptuous asshole I've ever met."

He sighed and ran his hand through his short hair before nodding his head in the direction his tattooed friend had gone. "I really gotta go take care of this bullshit." 

She waved her hand in front of her as if dismissing him and he made a move to leave. She should not have been surprised that he was leaving their conversation with no resolution but it killed her to let him off the hook like that. Not to mention, sure, she'd learned he was an asshole but she was still insanely attracted to him and nothing he had done or said had changed her mind about the fact that she wanted _him _to be the rebound Ruby and Annie had suggested she find.

Before she could figure out what to say, how to stop him, he was gone. She should probably cut her losses but was determined to get what she wanted and so she gritted her teeth and decided she’d wait.

*** 

Beth stood outside against the brick wall of the bar for close to an hour attempting to plan her next move. The place had cleared out significantly and she assumed Rio was still inside but - what if he’d gone out some back exit and was long gone by now? She hadn’t thought things through obviously. She’d only just sobered up slightly and if it weren’t for the fact that she had already wasted so much time she probably would have called an Uber and left - never to see the object of her desire again. 

It was after midnight when waitstaff began to leave and it wasn’t until she saw the big, bald, tattooed man walk out that she spoke up. 

“Hey!” She called and he stopped in his tracks to turn towards where she stood. She positioned herself upright but had to stop and concentrate when she felt the spin in her head, clearly the bourbon hadn't left her system quite yet. He grinned, holding back a laugh, and she could only imagine what he was thinking about her.

“Don’t look at me like that.” She said indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“How am I lookin’ at you?” He asked, smirk firmly in place. 

“Like I’m some crazy, obsessed...psychopath!” 

“That’s whatchu got out of that look?” 

She shrugged and blushed. “I’m feeling insecure.”

He nodded but just waited for her to continue - she’d started this after all.

“Is Rio still here?” 

He nodded his chin towards the building in confirmation. “In his office. Straight back past the bathrooms.” 

“Thanks.” She mumbled with a small smile.

“Be careful with him, sweetheart. He’ll eat you alive.”

Beth rolled her eyes and waved at him as she walked back into the restaurant. It was empty and dark save for a few dim lights. She took a deep breath in and headed towards the back, preparing herself for inevitable rejection.

She wandered down the hall and came upon two doors, one read ‘storage’ the other ‘office.’ She lifted her hand to knock on the office door but it swung open before she could make contact. Their eyes met and he looked surprised to see her. She gathered, from his face, that he wasn’t often surprised. 

“You don’t give up easily do you, ma?” He asked, his hand on the handle of the door. 

Her shoulders lifted and she attempted to appear unfazed but her heart was beating and her palms were sweaty. “Are you annoyed or impressed?”

He tilted his head as if he were thinking before a slow smile spread across his face. “Haven’t decided yet.”

“That kiss was....” She'd made up her mind to just go for it, get this over with, not waste time dancing around but she trailed off suddenly hesitant to follow through with her plan.

“Yeah, I was there.” Came his response and it encouraged her moderately. 

“Well you don’t give me a lot to go off of. I mean, I was practically begging you to ask me to stay...”

“That was you beggin’?” He interrupted leaning against the door frame. He seemed in a better mood than when he'd walked away from her earlier and she hoped that was a good sign.

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "You know what I mean."

He reached over to the wall in front of him and flicked the light switch. His office darkened and the only light left was the one in the hallway she stood in. He moved forward to close the door and she backed up as he advanced on her. He pulled the door shut, locked it with a key he pulled from his pocket and turned back to face her. "I told you I don’t play games. You want something then tell me."

“Why do I have to be the one to tell you what I want?” And it was true. They hadn't interacted much and it was only the second time she'd ever been around him but he was always asking _her _to speak up, always asking her to share her thoughts, always asking her what she wanted, even though he'd made it clear he could practically read her mind.

“Sweetheart, you runnin’ this show. I ain’t a good guy. I’d have lifted your skirt and railed you up against my bar a month ago if I thought you could handle it. You got my attention but I don’t got time to hold your hand.”

She wondered how long it would take, how many hours she'd have to spend with him, bEffie his honesty, his abruptness, his bluntness would not leave her speechless. She must have looked like a fish out of water with her mouth wide open, shocked, but not offended, by his words. She pulled herself together quickly enough but she hated the smug look on his face. She was beginning to think he loved to tease her, loved to get a reaction out of her - that most of what he said and did was directly correlated to how much he could get her to blush. 

“My sister and best friend say I need a rebound.” 

He looked interested in what she had to say for once and she patted herself on the back for intriguing him. She had brushed off the girl’s suggestion when they had brought up the idea of a rebound but Rio seemed like the perfect candidate and she was suddenly open to the recommendation. She did want to have fun and was enjoying being on her own but she also wanted to explore this attraction to Rio. She wanted more kisses like the one they had shared earlier, she wanted _more _than the kiss they'd shared earlier.

“What’s that entail exactly?”

She shrugged and she attempted to appear composed but this was so far out of her wheelhouse, so far out of what she was comfortable with, that she was sure she looked completely and utterly uncool. 

"Technically it's supposed to help a person get over a breakup and become more emotionally stable." She air quoted the last of her explanation and waved her hand as if to say, whatever, but she could not get rid of the butterflies in her stomach.

"And if we ain’t being technical?" He asked leaning back against the now closed office door. He crossed his arms over his chest and his right ankle over his left and he actually looked like he was listening to her.

She took a deep breath in and put all her cards on the table. "I want to have sex with you...probably more than once."

He opened his mouth to respond but she got a few more words in before he could.

"And I will not get the wrong idea about what this is." She addressed his earlier concern pointing between the two of them.

"Sounds a lot like you'd be using me." He was teasing her because that's what he did apparently. She didn't give him the satisfaction of answering, only backed up to lean against the wall opposite of him. She crossed her arms over her chest to mimic his stance and held his gaze. She hoped she appeared as casual as he did. 

"One condition." He said finally as he pushed off the door. He took three steps and was crowding her before she could prepare. 

She lifted her eyebrows as if to tell him she was listening and exhaled with an impatient, "what?"

"No more pool." 

And they sealed it with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the reviews and feedback! I’m having a lot of fun writing this so I decided this won’t be the last chapter. I have a general idea of where it’s going but I’d love some input from all of you so if you have any request or prompts of what you’d like to see let me know on tumblr (lilliloves)!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize there really isn’t much plot so far. This is mostly just going to be a fun, occasionally angsty fic about (what starts out as) a casual relationship between a younger Beth and Rio and what that might look like. I literally admire all you writers who are creative enough to incorporate the criminal world into your stories while also weaving in a Brio storyline because I literally don’t even know where to start! All that to say I hope you enjoy this for what it is because I’m having fun writing it! Send your requests or prompts my way if you’ve got any!

To say that Beth had been disappointed when Rio kissed her only to send her on her way would be an understatement. He'd walked her out of the restaurant and to her car just to tell her he'd "be in touch.” He'd acknowledged her surprise with a smirk but no apology. He still had some "business" to take care of - what business anyone needed to deal with in the middle of the night, Beth wasn't sure. 

She had at least forced him to exchange phone numbers not willing to leave it up to him to "track her down." He had taken her iPhone in his hand and entered his number and she'd texted a kiss face emoji so that he had hers. He'd rolled his eyes and promised her that he would _never_ text her an emoji, ever. 

She'd gotten into her car after that and watched him walk back towards the deserted bar. He didn't go in, just locked the front door and headed towards the back of the building to where she assumed his car was parked. 

It was over a week until she heard from him. She knew that she could have contacted him and she’d been preparing to - she’d just been deciding how she wanted to proceed. She was new at this and not even sure she was quite ready for it. Regardless, she was almost happy he took a while to reach out - it gave her time to adjust some more to all of the changes in her life. She needed that time to think, to get her head on straight, and to prepare herself for what any sort of relationship with Rio might entail. 

Turned out, there was no preparing for Rio.

She spent the week doing more “self care” things - yoga, cooking, gardening. She knew she sort of sounded like an old women with the hobbies she’d picked up but she was taking care of herself for the first time in forever so she accepted the fact. She got several online orders finished, packaged and shipped and created a business plan for herself that would keep her financially stable into the New Year. She wasn’t rolling in money but she was getting by and if all went well she’d have enough for a deposit on her own apartment in the coming months. 

She did her best to dodge Annie and Ruby’s incessant questions about Rio and what had transpired between them at the bar the night they’d been. It was harder to avoid Ruby considering they lived under the same roof but she also wasn’t as desperate to hide from her oldest friend - it was Annie that made her the craziest. She was honest with them though - to an extent. It was easy when you didn’t have much information to give. 

It was the next weekend - seven days later - when her phone rang and she looked down to see his name flashing on her screen.

She hadn’t realized how badly she’d wanted to hear from him until she did. 

"Hello?" She answered in an almost whisper, why she wasn't sure. It was late-ish and the house was quiet and even though she was in the basement with the dim light of her bedside lamp on it felt like the right thing to do.

"Sup?" He asked and she wondered if he _ever_ worried, ever wondered, ever questioned - he was always so cool and unaffected. It was enough to make her admire him and want to throttle him all at the same time. 

"Hi." She said again unnecessarily, not answering his question. 

"You busy?"

She looked around her room. Was she? She could make a case for it - sure. It was nine o'clock on a Saturday night and she was currently sitting in her bedroom at a desk that held her sewing machine. She was working on a quilt for a women from California who was getting ready to welcome her first granddaughter. She was in sweatpants and an over-sized t-shirt. The television from the living area outside her room was on low and she could faintly make out the sound of a Real Housewives repeat. 

"It's not a trick question, Elizabeth." Came his voice on the other end of the line when she took too long to answer. She flushed at the use of her full name, no one called her Elizabeth. For whatever reason the name she usually loathed sounded right coming from his mouth. 

"I'm trying to decide if I should lie or not." She said honestly, clicking off the machine in front of her momentarily. She leaned back in her chair and picked up the phone to take it off of speaker.

"What'd I tell you about games?" 

She rolled her eyes at the reminder but couldn’t hold back a smile. “Yeah, yeah. I'm not busy - at least, not with anything that can't wait."

"Send me your address." 

"Why?" 

"You sound lonely. I'll come keep you company." He joked but she _had _been lonely. She was happy with how things were going, had zero regrets but...going from being with someone always to having all of this alone time was an adjustment.

"I'll text it to you."

"Cool." And then the line went dead. She pulled the phone away from her ear and quickly pulled up his contact so that she could send him her address. She hesitated for a second. Ruby and Stan were home, either upstairs watching a movie or already in bed for the night. The basement had a separate entrance so they wouldn't even know he was here but why did it feel like she was sneaking around? 

She texted the address quickly and added a note to come around the back to the basement door. She looked down at her attire and grimaced. She didn't know how far away he was but she figured she'd better make herself presentable quickly. She decided to stay in the sweatpants she wore - they were black and more like joggers, so they had a nice slimming effect. She swapped the extra large t shirt for a slightly more fitted one. She was still comfortable but slightly cuter looking. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail and was in need of a wash so she'd have to make due with that. She brushed on a little mascara and Chapstick but other than that kept it natural. She didn't know for sure but she had a feeling Rio would appreciate the fact that she didn't try _too _hard. 

She plopped down on the couch, too keyed up to continue with her work. She looked around and wondered what Rio would think of her space. The basement in Stan and Ruby's house was small but nicely finished. There was a small living space with a couch, coffee table and TV mounted on the wall. Off the living room was her bedroom and off of that, a small bathroom with a shower. The basement entrance led into a partially finished laundry room/mudroom/storage space that Stan and Ruby also used - hopefully they didn't plan to do laundry tonight. 

Beth distractedly surfed the television channels, settling on a Food Network game show she was too preoccupied to focus on. She was so _nervous._ Hanging out with Rio in a public restaurant was one thing but having him in her personal space? That was terrifying. Spending time with a guy that wasn't Dean was so new to her - parts of her still felt like she was doing something wrong. Her ex-boyfriend had been texting her more often recently wanting to catch up, grab lunch, _talk _and while Beth knew she should agree (if only to reiterate the fact that they were over) she couldn't bring herself to make plans - she didn’t foresee any good coming from it. 

Twenty minutes later there was a soft knock on the door and Beth's heart started racing in her chest. She needed to keep a bottle of alcohol down here - any kind would do - if this turned out to be a regular occurrence. 

She walked past the washer and dryer and pulled open the door that led outside. He stood there in a black t-shirt and black jeans and it crossed her mind that he always looked so put together. She suddenly wished she'd at least made the effort to put on a pair of jeans. 

"Hi." She said but her voice was shaky and she was so obviously out of her element. She moved to the side so that he could enter and closed and locked the door behind him. He made his way further into the basement without waiting for her to lead the way. She was grateful the basement didn't _feel _like a basement. The ceilings were relatively high and so, as tall as he was, he didn't come close to hitting his head. Her eyes roamed over him, standing in her living room, and she couldn't decide if he looked out of place or right at home. 

"This is temporary. Just until I find a place of my own - Dean and I had been living together."

He nodded and looked around taking in the small space. He didn't know Dean by name but she figured he was smart enough to figure out who she was referring to. She'd made the basement as homey as possible with pictures and flowers and candles and she wondered what he thought of it. 

"Who's house?" He asked, breaking his silence. 

"My best friend Ruby and her husband." 

He nodded again and continued to look around, hands shoved in his pockets. The small talk killed her - she wasn’t cut out for it - and he didn’t particularly seem to enjoy it either. 

"Wanna sit?" She offered motioning towards the couch. 

He didn't respond but moved over to the small sectional and made himself comfortable in the corner. His hands rested on his knees, fingers spread wide and he watched her.

"Want a drink? I can go upstairs and raid their liquor cabinet." She was wringing her hands together. She attempted to appear calm but failed miserably. 

"Naw, I'm good." He answered smoothly and she tried not to be disappointed at his refusal.

"Water?" She offered because she wished he’d give her something to do.

He shook his head and beckoned her over, tapping the space next to him. "Come sit." 

So she did. 

She ignored her beating heart and sweating palms and sat next to him leaving inches between them. He moved his hand to rest on her knee and smirked as he smoothed out a wrinkle in her pants. 

"You look cute." 

She huffed immediately taking offense and responded indignantly. "It's comfortable."

The corner of his mouth lifted up into a small grin as he drew a circle on her knee with his pointer finger. "You shoulda told me. We coulda had a pajama party."

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she watched his movement on her leg. "I can't even picture you wearing pajamas to bed."

"You been thinkin' about what I wear to bed?" He flirted suggestively and she flushed.

"_Rio_." She groaned, her face fire engine red. She lifted her hands to cover her face and frowned at how easily he could embarrass her.

He laughed and squeezed her knee. "I'm teasin', relax." 

"You're always teasing me." She said through the fingers that covered her eyes. 

"That's cuz you gotta lighten up. You're sitting there all tense like you're in jail. Relax." He encouraged for a second time shoving playfully at her leg. 

"You make me nervous." She shot back honestly. She twisted so that she faced him, one leg fell over the side of the couch, the other curled up underneath her. 

"No," He started with a shake of his head, "you make you nervous. You think too much."

"I’ve discovered bourbon helps with that.” It was a joke - sort of. 

He leaned back into the couch cushions and chuckled. He turned his head so that he could look into her eyes but his body faced straight ahead. "You been drinking every time I'm with you. You don’t need it. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be." He sounded frustrated but also patient as if he got it but wished he could ease her worries. She appreciated it but she thought the only thing that would relax her would be time.

They sat in silence for a moment and she sighed letting her head fall to the cushion next to her. She watched him watching the television and found it hard to believe that he was really sitting here with her.

"How old are you?" She asked after a moment because it had been something she'd been wondering. 

"32." He answered easily. It had been about what she'd figured. He carried himself in a way that made him seem older and more mature than she was. Six years wasn't a huge difference but she liked the fact that he was older than her, more experienced. It was just another thing to add to the long list of things she was attracted to.

Beth waited for him to ask the same question of her but he never did do what was expected. 

"I'm 26." She said giving the information he hadn't asked for. 

He didn't answer, didn't look at her and she narrowed her eyes at him because based on his reaction it was as if he had already known that but _how_? It was probably the same way he knew her full name was Elizabeth although that probably hadn't been too hard to figure out. She supposed in this day and age it wasn't too difficult to find out information about a person. Did that mean he'd been looking into her? Did she want to know? How did that make her feel? Why hadn’t _she_ tried to look into him? She sighed and he laughed when he realized she wasn't going to press him on the matter. 

She continued to stare at him as he watched her television and if it bothered him he didn't let on. He looked tired, Beth noticed, and she had a suddenly overwhelming desire to run her fingers through his cropped hair.

So she did.

She lifted her hand and before she could talk herself out of it she ran her palm across the short cut of his hair. If he was surprised he didn't let on and so she continued, dragging her nails across the top of his head and down the sides and back again. 

And then he closed his eyes and relaxed deeper into the couch and _groaned. S_he had to squeeze her thighs together because _God _the rumble in his chest, the sound of his voice, was enough to leave her panting. She couldn't tell if he was turned on or close to falling asleep so she made another rash decision. 

She swung her right leg over him and positioned herself over his lap and that, she could tell, took him by surprise. His head shot up as he felt her center press against his and his hands automatically moved to grip her hips. 

"Wasn't sure if I was putting you to sleep." She mumbled, reaching out to grab hold of his shoulders. 

He swallowed and lifted his hips so that she could feel how very _not_ asleep he was.

She grinned shyly because she liked how he reacted to her. She felt powerful and in control (something she'd rarely felt with him). Sex with Dean had always been fine. She'd never had anything to compare it to but now, even after only a few kisses with Rio, she knew that she would never again be content with _just fine._

Neither seemed in a rush to make any moves, either because they knew they had plenty of time or because they were just having fun. The prospect of flirting a little, of _foreplay, _was foreign to Beth and she reveled in the idea of not looking at sex as something required of her. 

"Did this hurt?" She asked as she trailed her finger along the tattoo across his neck and finally got the closer look she'd been dying for.

His mouth turned downwards and he shook his head. She was sure he'd never admit to the pain anyway. 

"Do you have others?" She asked, eyeing the spot where she knew three, thick black lines marked the back of his bicep.

"You'll have to find out." He challenged, his voice low and gravelly. He was clearly enjoying her exploration of him just as much as she was and the fact encouraged her. She scooted forward on his lap slightly and he squeezed her waist just hard enough that she had to bite her lip. The tips of his fingers skimmed the skin just underneath her t-shirt and she let out an uncontrollable shiver. 

She moved her hands down to the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head. He seemed slightly caught off guard as if he hadn't expected her to find out _right now _but he was happy to accommodate. 

She skimmed her eyes over him - his skin was golden and soft, his chest hard and toned. She spotted a design on his shoulder and ran her hand over the artwork. She swallowed suddenly feeling in over her head and asked, "Is this okay?" 

He laughed because shouldn't he be asking her that? He moved to sit up straighter pulling her forward as he did so. Her covered breasts pressed up against his naked chest and her arms looped around his neck. His hands moved further underneath her shirt, up her back and he traced the length of her spine with his finger. 

"Yeah, sweetheart, it's okay." And she appreciated that he didn't make a joke at her expense even though he was clearly amused.

She could feel him half hard underneath her and instantly, like a light had switched on somewhere inside of her, she was overcome with _feelings. _She went from wanting to explore, to touch, to feel, to _needing _it. She didn't know how to vocalize what she wanted - or maybe she was being too shy. 

Beth spread her legs wider and shifted closer (as if she could possibly get any closer) and rolled her hips towards his, grinding into him. His smirk disappeared and he groaned and moved his palms up her thighs and around to her ass. His fingers flexed, digging into her flesh, and he squeezed.

At the gesture she lost any control she might have had left. Her hips rolled forward for a second time and she leaned towards him to nip at the lobe of his ear and then the curve of his neck. She felt wild with need and she hoped she wasn’t completely humiliating herself. By the sound of Rio's breathing, she was definitely not.

"Rio." She moaned his name begging for something she couldn’t figure out how to ask for. 

"Tell me." He demanded, his mouth so close to her ear it sent shivers up her spine. 

"I feel so..." She couldn’t put her finger on the word she was looking for because she could barely finish a complete thought. Needy, wet, hot ... they all swirled around her mind but nothing came out. 

"What?" He asked against her ear placing a kiss right below it. His jaw tensed because it was almost too much for him, watching her like this. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her - didn’t want to even if he could.

Before she could answer, Rio pulled back from her putting some distance between their faces to meet her gaze. His eyes noticed hers, lit up with pure lust and desire, and he must have liked what he saw because his lips crashed down onto Beth's. His tongue swept into her mouth and wrestled with hers and somehow she found a way to keep up. She opened for him wanting more contact, more him. 

_This _was real attraction. This level of need where Beth literally lost all ability to be civil. She had never been this person before - so desperate to be close to someone, so needy for relief. It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

"Touch me." Beth begged pulling back from his kiss because she was so far past the point of caring what she sounded like. 

"Where?" His eyes were black and dark as he asked even though he knew. He had to know, could feel the heat of her through their clothes.

"Rio." She pleaded rolling her hips yet again to indicate where without having to say it. Surprisingly, he didn’t make her ask for it. He reached around and down the front of her pants and she was suddenly very thankful she hadn't put on jeans. It was so easy for him to just stretch out the fabric of her sweatpants and touch her where she wanted. Where they both wanted.

Before she realized what was happening Rio was standing, lifting her off the couch and moving her in the direction of her bedroom. His lips hovered over hers. He paused to press her up against the wall holding her under her ass. He grinded down between her parted legs and she moaned because she could feel how hard he was. For her.

He gripped her ass and shifted her weight into his arms and started moving again.

"I'll fuck you up against the wall another time." He mumbled against her lips and _yes!_ she thought, he was already thinking about the _next _time.

He walked through her doorway and tossed her onto the bed immediately moving to stand over her. 

He glanced around her room, taking in everything that was inherently _Beth. _She felt exposed as she watched his eyes land on her sewing machine and she could see the question in his eyes but when he looked down at her - lips wide, hair messed, cheeks flushed - any question he might have had was forgotten.

Feeling impatient, Beth lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head taking her bra along with it. The look on Rio's face was enough to never make her self-conscious about her large breasts again. She shimmied out of her sweatpants, leaving her in only her underwear. She propped herself up on her elbows and waited for him to make the next move.

She didn't have to wait long. 

He reached into the back pocket of his jeans, pulled out his wallet and retrieved a condom from inside. He tossed the wallet onto her desk and removed his jeans and boxer briefs leaving Beth breathless. She hated to constantly compare her feelings for Rio to her feelings for Dean but - 

The sight of him, naked in front of her, left her brain scrambled.

She pulled her eyes away from him long enough to meet his eyes and she blushed at the smug look on his face. She waited for him to make some crude comment but instead he moved forward to pull her panties off.

"Spread your legs wider." He mumbled, tracing a line up her thigh, past where she really wanted his fingers until he was palming her breast with his hand. Her lids fell shut as she followed his command and his nostrils flared at the sight of her.

While one hand held his weight over her, the other moved back down her body to where she was wet and ready for him. He ran his fingers over her slickness and teased her until she gasped and pleaded for more. 

"Please," She whispered barely realizing the word had come out of her mouth. Her eyes were glazed over as she watched where his fingers played with her, just barely giving her what she wanted. 

And right as she thought there wasn't _anything _she wouldn't do to get him inside of her he grabbed the condom from beside her, rolled it on and sunk himself inside of her. 

Her lungs exploded and she cried out in surprise and pleasure. His lust-filled eyes stayed focused on her face before he grunted, "that what you wanted?" 

She didn't answer, couldn't, only moved her hips with his attempting to adjust to his size. He gripped her hips tighter, lifting so that her legs could comfortably wrap around his back. Her head fell to the side as he pounded into her, one hand coming up to tweak a nipple.

He pulled out and she whined but he only smiled and nudged her to the side, "Flip over." 

He didn't have to tell her twice. She turned over and pushed up on all fours. His hands ran over her ass before he placed them on her shoulder blades and pushed her down gently into the mattress. Beth was flattened against the bed, ass in the air and she could hear him mumble a low "fuck" under his breath. The one word, barely a breath really, undid her. The sound coming from his mouth was one of the few indications that he was feeling just as out of control as she was. 

He pushed inside of her as Beth grabbed hold of her comforter. She was wet and greedy but he was _big _and the new angle took her breath away. He moved slowly until he didn't and Beth had to remind herself to breath as he pumped in and out of her, his dick dragging over every nerve.

He pounded inside of her, gradually increasing speed, and she fleetingly hoped that Ruby and Stan couldn't hear their noises from upstairs. She gripped the blanket tighter, breathy moans escaping without her consent as he hit all the right spots. 

"You like this?" He asked roughly and she could only nod.

He thrusted inside of her, circling his hips quickly and she could feel herself getting closer, her release building and tightening until she thought she might pass out. Their skin slapped loudly together and Beth prayed the walls were thicker than they appeared. The loud sound should have made her nervous but it only served to turn her on more. He pulled out and slammed back into her again quickly, angling down in a long, powerful thrust that sent her over the edge.

She cried out, body quaking and quivering and shaking, completely done for. She could never go back. 

Rio's pace quickened as he watched her climax. His eyes were wild and he drove inside of her _hard _as she rode her orgasm to the finish. Only seconds later his release followed. He let out hoarse grunts that filled Beth with desire and _pride _and she was positive she could come again just from hearing his sounds. 

It was a minute before he mustered up the energy to pull out and collapse on the bed beside her. Her body was still shaking, her brain mush and - how would she ever recover? 

She turned her head to face him but he was already looking at her and she was surprised when she noticed that she wasn’t feeling shy or embarrassed - just sated and content and wondering when they could go again.

He smirked at her because her thoughts were playing out all over her face and it occurred to her that she wanted a kiss. 

She rolled towards him pressing her bare breasts against his side as she swung one leg over him. His hand naturally flew up to grab her ass and pull her closer. She cupped the side of his face and pressed her lips hard to his. He pulled back and then pressed forward harder, demanding, and she wondered if anything he did was ever _not _under his control.

Her lips broke apart from his and she jumped off of him before he could stop her. "Let's take a shower." 

And shower they did.

***

He made her come three more times that night, once in the shower with his fingers, once with his mouth, and again while inside of her.

They both passed out hours after he arrived, exhausted but relaxed. She wondered if he'd planned to stay the night or if he just hadn't had the energy to leave. Either way was fine with her.

Beth woke to a shuffling in her bedroom and when she opened her eyes she saw him pulling up his jeans in front of her. His chest was covered so he must have already made his way out into the living room to get the t-shirt she'd discarded on the couch hours prior.

He hadn't noticed she was awake yet and she briefly wondered if she should pretend to fall asleep just to see if he planned on waking her or not.

She quickly decided against it - that was a game she wasn't interested in playing.

The sun was only just peeking through the small basement window in her room so it couldn't be much after six. She watched him grab his belongings from her desk and slide them into his pocket before he finally turned to look at her, eyebrows lifting when he saw she was awake. 

"Hey." He greeted voice still husky with sleep. 

"Hi." She said, sitting up. Her arm crossed over her chest to keep her breasts covered by the blanket over her body. She felt much less confident in the light of the morning. 

"Don't get up. I gotta head out." He said stepping into the shoes he'd kicked off last night. 

"Throw me that shirt." She said, ignoring his request to point at the over-sized tee she had taken off when he'd called last night. He swung his eyes in the direction of her gaze but just leered. Even at six in the morning he was intent on teasing her. 

"Get it yourself." He said with a shrug, crossing his arms over his chest.

She rolled her eyes but took the challenge. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and pushed the comforter off of her. She was only in panties and she walked the few steps as if she was not completely aware of his eyes on her.

She grabbed the shirt and pulled it over her head as he watched. It hit just at her thigh and she contemplated searching for her pants but decided against it. She turned to him and lifted her hands to tighten her ponytail, brushing a stray strand out of her face. 

"I used your toothbrush." He said and it didn't bother her (thrilled her more like it) but it did surprise her that he'd done it without her hearing. It shouldn't have though, he'd wiped her out last night, the ache in her body was proof of that.

"I think you broke me." She muttered, grimacing at the tightness in her shoulders and the dull throb between her legs. She reached her arms up over her head in a stretch, her t-shirt riding up as she did so and he noticed. 

"You mean the boyfriend of ten years that you_ met in high school_ didn't leave you hurtin' the next day?" 

She hummed but didn't justify his smugness with a response. She walked out of the room and heard him laugh and follow behind her. 

"You got a bottle of water I can take with me?" He asked.

She turned to face him and thought for a second. She didn't have anything down here but she could take him upstairs, grab one and have him leave out the front door. It was early enough that they shouldn't have any run-ins with her housemates. 

Wrong. So wrong. 

He followed her up the stairs and onto the main floor of the house, quietly shutting the door behind them. She walked into the kitchen and opened up the fridge to grab a water. She could see Rio in her peripheral so she tensed when she heard the creak of a floorboard behind her. 

She swung around and came face to face with Stan who was buttoning the shirt of his uniform as he walked. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Beth and Rio in the kitchen. 

Beth swallowed and slowly moved her head from Stan to Rio. His jaw was clenched and she frowned when she saw him practically glaring in Stan's direction. 

"Um, hey." She said turning back to Stan whose eyes were narrowed and pinned on Rio. He was clearly surprised to see him which at least let Beth know her friends hadn't heard what she'd been up to last night. She bit her lip and attempted to clear the tension in the air. "Early shift?" 

"Yeah, overtime." Stan answered and she noticed his eyes move over the tattoo that covered Rio's neck. Beth knew that Ruby must have told Stan about Rio. She told him _everything_. Beth had gotten used to this over the years. She knew that anything she confided in Ruby she also confided in Stan and she was okay with that.

She realized it must have been weird for Stan to see her with someone else. Stan and Dean had become relatively good friends over the years but that was mostly due to the fact that they didn't have much of a choice. Their girlfriends were inseparable after all.

Stan was also a cop and therefore suspicious of everyone. His reaction she understood. 

Rio's...not so much. 

Stan broke the stare-down first, stepping forward with a hand held out in front of him. "Stan." He said, introducing himself before Beth could make the introductions.

Rio took his hand, both of their grips solid as they shook. "Rio."

"I was just getting Rio a bottle of water before he left." Beth explained, tugging down at the hem of her shirt desperately wishing she had grabbed those pants she'd considered earlier. 

Stan nodded and forced a smile. "No problem. Didn't know you had anyone over last night." 

"He came through the basement." Beth answered quickly and she really just wanted a hole in the floor to open up and swallow her. 

"You Detroit PD?" Rio spoke up and Beth glanced at him surprised he'd initiated conversation. 

Stan looked guarded but answered. "Just finished up the academy last month."

Rio nodded in contemplation. 

"Rio owns _Flip_. That place we went to for Annie's birthday last week." Beth didn't know why she felt the need to explain - she didn't care if Stan approved of Rio - not much, at least. 

"Right." Stan answered and something clicked in his mind apparently because Beth could see the moment that he clued in to who exactly Rio was. "Cool."

The conversation stilted until Stan made a move to walk further into the kitchen. "Anyone want coffee?" 

Beth appreciated the effort and glanced at Rio, assuming she knew his answer.

"I'm good." Came his response and he looked down at the water bottle in Beth's hand before meeting her gaze. "I gotta go."

She nodded and handed the bottle to him. He slid it into his pocket and she looked to Stan. “I'll be right back."

He lifted his chin in acknowledgement and then eyed Rio. "Good to meet you, man." 

"You too." Rio answered with a head tilt.

Neither sounded like they particularly meant it.

Beth led Rio out of the kitchen and through the dining and living rooms towards the front door. She opened it and stepped outside, rubbing her arms with her hands to ward off the chill of the morning air. 

"You live with a cop." Rio deadpanned stating the obvious. He moved to stand directly in front of her, distracting her with his body heat.

"Surprised you didn't know that already." Beth joked because he seemed to know a lot of other things about her. She blinked and managed to focus on the conversation and not all of the images of last night that suddenly popped into her mind due to the closeness of him.

Rio hummed and scrubbed his hand over his face. 

"Is that a problem?" She asked in confusion picking up on some sort of...hesitation from the man in front of her.

He rubbed the scruff on his chin in thought and either decided it wasn't or that, if it was, she didn't need to know why. "Nah."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys, pressing a button on the remote from where they stood. The lights of his black Cadillac parked on the street lit up and the car rumbled to life.

"Fancy." Beth mumbled bouncing on her toes to keep herself warm.

He took a step towards her and cupped her face in his hands. He rubbed across her bottom lip with his thumb before leaning forward to nip at the spot he'd just touched. She let out a breath and wrapped her arms around his waist tucking her hands underneath his shirt for warmth.

"I'll see you soon, yeah?" He said, kissing her temple before moving to pull away.

But she didn't let him. Just held on tighter as she looked up at him. "When?"

The corner of his mouth tugged up in amusement and his eyes gleamed. "Soon."

She sighed when he went to move away again but let him this time. She watched him retreat down the front steps and make his way towards the running car. He didn't turn back to her just opened his door slid into the seat, and closed the door behind him.

She watched him drive away and quickly moved to go back into the house, happy to be out of the cold. Stan sat on the couch in the living room, a cup of coffee in his hand, obviously waiting on her.

She stopped and turned to face him again wishing for those pants. 

"What's his deal?" Stan asked straight to the point.

Beth narrowed her eyes unsure of what he meant and she told him so. 

"I don't trust him." Stan stated as if that clarified things. 

"You don't even know him." Beth gritted out between her teeth.

"Do you?" Stan shot back sipping at the hot drink in his hand and it irritated her mostly because she _didn't _but she'd like to.

"I appreciate it, Stan, but I'm good." 

"I'm just looking out for you." He said with a shrug and she really did appreciate it, appreciate him, but his concern wasn't necessary. She nodded in understanding and turned to go back to her room in the basement. 

"You should call Dean." Stan called after her, halting her movement. "He's been bugging me to get the four of us together. He's still got hope things will work out, Beth."

She swallowed the lump in her throat, the good mood she'd woken up with, effectively deflated. 

"I will." She said without turning around. "Thanks, Stan."

She had zero intention of following through.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews and love and support! Special thanks to Medievalraven and Alloeqat for letting me bounce ideas off of them.

Soon ended up being sooner than even Beth had anticipated. 

In much the same way he had texted the night before he did so again the _very next night_. Beth had just finished a movie with Ruby and was heading down to get some work done when the text came through. He'd not exactly asked but _told _her he was coming over and she'd not exactly agreed but _readily accepted_ the fact.

She was glad the text had come through away from Ruby's prying eyes. Beth had given her friend the bare minimum of details - she couldn't hide it entirely after all - Ruby and Stan shared _everything _and that included Stan's morning run-in with a pants-less Beth and tattooed stranger. 

It wasn't even that Beth wanted to hide it from her friend. She just hadn't quite processed the night herself yet - wasn't convinced she hadn't imagined the entire thing - and so she didn't know what to say. She couldn't even answer Ruby's questions to her satisfaction - well, most at least.

_"So was it good? Better than Dean?"_

_Beth flushed at her friend’s interrogation and swallowed at the tightening in her throat. The mere mention of her night with Rio brought back every single feeling. Had it been good? Good didn't even scratch the surface but how did she express that in words? Had it been better than with Dean? Dean who?_

_She hadn't needed to find words after all. Ruby knew Beth well enough that just the look on her friend's face was answer enough. _

_"Jesus." Ruby responded with a low whistle, leaning back onto the couch they were sitting on._

_"Yeah." Beth said, and Ruby they it at that._

He hadn't bothered to knock this time but let himself in and her body lit up at the sight of him. She wondered if that would ever go away. Would that feeling of pure, unadulterated attraction ever fade or should she accept the fact that her thighs would always clench together at the sight of him?

His gaze pinned her where she sat on the couch, bare feet tucked underneath her, and she forced herself to breathe as he moved closer.

He didn't greet her, didn't sit down next to her, just walked around the coffee table and stood over her. He leaned down and his hands rested on the cushions behind her, holding his weight above her. He effectively caged her in with nowhere to go (not that she wanted to go anywhere) and his eyes dropped down to her lips for a second before he was kissing her. It was fast and fleeting, driven by sheer impulsiveness and _need_. His lips settled against hers in a playful dance of soft presses and the occasional tongue graze. He was teasing her, purposefully driving her crazy. It was agonizing for Beth but also, perhaps, the best kiss she had ever had (until the next one, of course, because it seemed like _every _kiss with Rio was the best kiss).

He pulled back with a smirk after what seemed like several torturous minutes. It took her far longer than she would have liked to compose herself. When she was able to pull it together and open her eyes, she found him still leaning over her, his pupils black.

"You like to torture me." She said with a pout but it was playful and if this was true torture then sign her up.

"I like to do a lot of things to you. Torturin' is at the bottom of that list." He answered, but made no attempt to move away from her and her hands itched to touch him.

"What's at the top?" She said, attempting to flirt or be sexy or seductive and while she didn't particularly think she succeeded she must have done something right because he was moving, lifting her over his shoulder and on his way to the bedroom before she could laugh her question off as a joke.

He spent the night showing her exactly what made the top of his list

***

He wasn't showing up every day but for the next three weeks he was at Beth's several nights a week and he always spent the night. He would come around nine and leave the next morning by six - she never knew where he was coming from or where he was going - but many orgasms were involved and they quickly fell into a routine that worked for both of them.

Until it didn't.

It was a late in the afternoon on a Wednesday when it occurred to Beth that Rio had always been the one to initiate contact. He texted her to let her know when he was coming over and she had never, not once, denied him. She was always available to him and when the fact hit Beth, it _hit _her. 

She was humiliated that she had turned into _that _girl. That girl who waited by the phone to see if he would call. That girl that had become obsessed with making sure she looked cute but not like she had tried _just in case_. That girl that had become so blinded by really fucking fantastic sex that she didn't ask questions.

She stopped what she was doing and ran up the stairs to find Ruby sitting at a stool on her kitchen island, laptop open in front of her. Beth's friend was the office manager at an event planning company and had the luxury of working from home on occasion. Ruby's back was to Beth but she swung around when she heard her enter the kitchen.

"I'm his booty call." Beth said dejectedly after she shut the basement door behind her. 

Ruby sighed but shut her laptop so that she could focus on her friend who was clearly in crisis mode. She tilted her head towards the stool next to her and Beth fell onto it with a huff.

"Talk to me." Ruby said. She turned to her friend giving her undivided attention.

Beth laid her head into the palm of her hand and looked at her friend. "I am literally at his beck and call. He texts and his dick is in me within an hour."

Ruby let out a loud laugh, surprised at her friend’s candor. “You just sounded like Annie.”

"Ruby, I'm serious. I've never told him he can't come over when he wants to. I've never called him to ask him to hang out. I've never been to his house. We barely talk. We're either having sex or sleeping."

Ruby thought on her friend's words for a moment, unwilling to speak until she formulated a proper response. Beth was fragile by the looks of it and one wrong word might send her over the edge.

"Correct me if I'm wrong..." Ruby started but didn't continue until Beth gave a nod, "wasn't that the point?"

Beth opened her mouth to dispute her friend but closed it just as quickly.

"I mean...he's a rebound right? Just someone to have fun with and help you move on from Dean? Did you expect dates and romance and wooing?"

Beth frowned and thought about it for a second. "No. But I figured we'd talk and get to know each other and maybe share the occasional meal at least."

Ruby shrugged and prepared her friend for brutal honesty when she covered her hand with her own. "That's a relationship, babe. If you want that go back to Dean or find a guy who wants to be your boyfriend."

"I -" Beth started but Ruby cut her off.

"Didn't Rio make it clear he didn't want you getting the wrong idea? I'm not standing up for him but I specifically remember you telling me this was not serious.”

"It’s not." Beth insisted but it sounded weak even to her.

Ruby raised her eyebrow but continued. "And I think I remember telling you I wasn’t convinced it was a good idea because I thought you might get in over your head."

"A rebound was _your_ idea!" Beth exclaimed, pointing a finger at her friend as she sat up straight in her seat. She liked that Ruby was being honest with her - didn't want her to hold back - but Beth specifically remembered being accosted in this very kitchen over the suggestion of a rebound.

Ruby shrugged but didn't take complete responsibility. "Actually it was Annie’s. I just went along with her. It’s just - “

She hesitated and Beth pushed her to continue. "What?"

Ruby sighed and dropped her hands into her lap. "I mean you’re into this guy, Beth. I don’t know if it’s just your vagina or something more but you’ve clearly caught some feelings."

"I’m not sure either." Beth said dejectedly because she was more confused than ever.

"About what?" Ruby asked, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

"I’m not sure if I’m just blinded by how good the sex is or if I actually like him."

Ruby nodded in understanding. "Well, besides the sex what else do you like about him?"

Beth thought for a minute but everything she came up with circled back to the fact that she was insanely attracted to Rio. "That’s the thing. I barely know him."

Ruby looked at Beth and just barely held back an eye roll. "I think you're making my point, babe. If you find yourself wanting to get to know him, wanting _more_ than just sex…that probably means you’re no longer doing what you agreed to."

Beth's forehead creased and she frowned. "I didn’t even last a month."

Ruby gave her friend a small, sympathetic smile and leaned in for a hug. "Nothing wrong with being a relationship type of girl."

And no there was nothing wrong with it, per se, but Beth didn't want to be in a relationship. Did she?

Or did she just not want to be in a relationship with Dean?

She resigned herself to the fact that she actually had no idea _what _she wanted. She was adamant, however, that she be more confident when it came to Rio. If she wanted to see him and she hadn't heard from him she would contact him. If she was busy with work or her friends or anything else when he texted she would tell him she was busy. She didn't have to figure out her feelings now. She could be patient, could ask more questions, and could attempt to get to know Rio more. 

The first step, she decided, would be reaching out to him instead of the other way around.

So she did.

She initiated contact the next night and she told herself it didn't matter that she spent far too long figuring out _what_ to say. The fact that she settled on texting "Hi" to start the conversation was only slightly shameful. 

Five minutes after she sent the text, her phone started buzzing with an incoming call. It was Rio. She groaned before answering.

"Hello?" She greeted, confused as to why he was calling. Almost all of their conversations were quick text exchanges.

"What's up?" He asked and she could tell he was on Bluetooth in his car.

"Did you see my text?" She asked because if he had been driving maybe it was just a coincidence that he was calling her. 

"Yeah. I'm not really a conversational texter. I like to get straight to the point."

She rolled her eyes and felt the overwhelming urge to stick her tongue out at him. "I've noticed."

"I'm on my way over."

Her chin dropped and her mouth opened wide and seriously? She had finally worked up the nerve to ask _him_ to hang out and he had taken that away from her.

"No." She shot back quickly before she could stop herself.

"'Scuse me?" He asked and she could tell her was narrowing his eyes at her protest because she'd _never _said no to him.

"I was texting _you_ to hang out!"

"Is that what hi means?" 

She groaned and smacked her hand down on the desk she sat at. "You're so frustrating."

He laughed in disbelief. "I have no fucking clue what you're talkin' about. I'll see you soon."

"No!" She practically shouted again and she didn't even care at this point that she was embarrassing herself. She added quickly, "I was thinking I'd come to your place this time."

If it weren't for the unmistakable sound of his breathing on the other end of the line she would have thought he'd hung up. He was silent for a minute and she held her breath waiting for his response.

"I'm already on my way over." He said finally and his tone didn't leave much room for argument.

Good thing she was in.a.mood.

"Well, I want to see your place." She sounded defiant, at least she thought, but he didn't seem to care.

"It's nothin' special."

"We're always here! Don't you want a change of scenery?"

"It's got a bed, darlin' I'm fine with it."

"Rio." She said his name clearly exasperated but prepared to convince him. She gritted her teeth because he really wasn't helping her case. She opened her mouth to argue further, she really did. She had every intention of putting her foot down, of _making _him let her come to his place, of telling him that it was his place or nothing but then his voice got low and quiet and husky and he called her _baby _for the first time and any good intentions she had were shot to hell.

"Baby, I had a long day and I just wanna see you. Who cares where it is.”

She really had to work on saying no to him and meaning it. Maybe next time. For now, she would pretend that he was telling the truth and not purposefully keeping her from seeing where he lived, from getting to know him more than she already did.

***

He showed up a few minutes later and she made no move to get up from where she was sitting at her sewing machine. She was close to finishing her current project and fine, if her plan to go to has place hadn't worked, the least he could do was wait for _her_ to finish what she was doing.

She heard him walk in the door and make his way into her apartment. She could tell that he paused when he didn't find her on the couch before he moved to peek into her bedroom. She didn't turn around, too focused on what she was doing and also too annoyed - more so with herself than him but still.

"Whatchu doing?" He asked, and she heard him sit on her bed but she didn't stop her work.

"Making a cake." She answered dryly.

He chuckled and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “smartass” under his breath. She heard him kick his shoes off and move to lay onto her bed. She got to a good place where she was okay stopping and finally turned to look at him. He was perched up against her headboard, arms over his chest, legs out in front of him. Her breath hitched at the sight of him, at how much she loved to see him in her bedroom, at how comfortable he looked.

"Hi." She said quietly staying seated in her chair.

"Cake almost done?" He asked, nodding at the machine on her desk.

She rolled her eyes. "I really want to finish this tonight. I promised I'd have it shipped out tomorrow."

He nodded and chewed at his lower lip in thought. She had explained her business to him one night a week or so ago when he had inquired about the sewing machine on her desk. He had looked impressed but then made it a point to call her Suzy Homemaker because he wasn't Rio and she wasn't Beth if they weren’t constantly trying to get a rise out of one another.

“K. You finish, I'll go watch the game."

She had no idea what game he was talking about but she didn't particularly care. She warmed at the fact that he was willing to let her get her work done while he waited. She should have more faith in the fact that he had proven he wasn't a total jackass.

He swung his legs over the bed and his t-shirt rode up as he moved to stand. She licked her lips at the sight of his lean, hard stomach and then blushed when she noticed him clocking her gaze.

He stepped forward, crowding her where she sat in her desk chair, and placed a quick kiss to the side of her head. She melted, no seriously, she was a puddle on the floor and she wondered if he had any idea what he was doing to her. Actions like _that _were not going to help to remind her this was strictly casual.

"Hurry up." He said and then he was out the door and making himself comfortable at her TV.

*******

A job that should have taken twenty minutes ended up taking closer to thirty. She quickly realized that working a sewing machine while simultaneously thinking about the hot guy in her living room was counterproductive. 

When she did finish she breathed a sigh of relief and attempted to walk, not sprint, to where Rio sat. He had poured himself a drink (she had taken to stocking a bar cart with bourbon and waters after their run-in with Stan) and was focused on the baseball game playing on the screen. To be honest, he looked like he had been close to sleep before she walked in. He was slouched on the couch and his legs were propped up on the coffee table in front of him. He seemed relaxed and content and she made herself ignore the flutter in her stomach at the sight.

His eyes wandered in her direction and his mouth tilted up at the corner. "Done?"

She nodded and rounded the couch to sit next to him. She tucked her feet underneath her and took the glass of amber liquid he reached out to offer to her. She sipped and he watched her lips wrap around the glass where his had just been.

She placed the glass on the coffee table and turned back to him.

"You mentioned once before you owned multiple restaurants." She started and he raised his eyebrows at her seemingly random question. It wasn't random to her though. She was resolute in getting to know him better and she figured that started with knowing the basics.

She watched him and waited and she knew he was smart enough to realize what she was getting at even though she had not exactly asked a question. 

"My sister and her husband own an upscale taqueria downtown. I'm a silent partner. My cousin, Luis, runs a place in the North End that we opened together. _Flip _is all mine."

"So it's like...a family business?"

Rio shrugged and turned his attention back to the TV in time to see the Detroit Tigers hit a home run. "My ma ran a place with her brothers when we was growing up so yeah it's kind of in our blood."

She smiled at the thought of little Rio running around a restaurant getting in the way of everyone around him. He had to have been a cute kid if not completely mischievous. 

"You like baseball?" She asked, motioning towards the screen.

He side-eyed her but answered. "Yeah. My uncles made sure of that."

She noticed he hadn't mentioned a father but figured now wasn't the time to cross that bridge. She wanted him to keep answering not clam up at anything that might be too personal.

Baby steps.

She hummed and watched the game with him for a moment. At some point during their conversation, his hand had reached out to rest on her thigh. She was always so aware of him but especially so when he touched her. It made it difficult to think and she wondered if it was strategic on his part. They may not know each other well but they knew each other's bodies and she was sure he knew the affect his touch had on her.

"What do you do when you're not working or with me?" She asked as if she was reading off a list. She had what seemed like hundreds of questions she wanted to ask him but was focusing on the easy ones today.

His head rolled to the side in her direction still leaning against the couch cushion behind him. He stared at her and she stared back, attempting not to waver under his gaze.

"What's with the twenty questions?" He asked but he didn't seem annoyed, just curious.

"I'm trying to get to know you." She said as if it were obvious and she hoped she sounded more casual than she felt.

He smirked and his head rolled back so that he was no longer looking at her. "Trying to decide if you like me enough to sleep with me?"

She flushed because yeah, they were way past the point of _that _but any opportunity he got to mess with her he took. "Very funny."

His smirk stayed firmly in place and she wondered if he was blatantly ignoring her question until he answered a few moments later.

"I box." He said when she had just been ready to give up on getting an answer.

And she didn't know a thing about boxing but images flooded her head in an instant - him in boxing gloves, shirt off, fists up, sweaty - it was a fantasy she'd never known she had but it was all she suddenly wanted to see.

She swallowed and attempted to calm her rapidly overheating body. "I bet you never lose." Came her response but she knew her voice gave away her sudden desire when he sat up to turn the TV off and turned to her.

"You done with your questions?" He asked his lust-filled gaze trained intensely on her. 

She nodded and pulled her lip between her teeth. "For now."

"I was thinking about something last night." He said deeply. He stood over where she sat on the couch and he reached out his hands to her so that she could grab them. When their palms met, he pulled so that she was standing in front of him. He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and she shivered when his fingers brushed her skin.

He grinned when he noticed her reaction but all she could do was watch and wait for him to keep talking. His hand moved down her side, slipping under her shirt and up to cup her bra-covered breast. His thumb rubbed over her nipple and her eyes squeezed shut at the sensation. 

"What?" She asked, because she needed him to finish his thoughts or she would jump him before he got the chance. His gaze flicked up to her face from where he had been focused on his hand's journey and she wondered if he'd forgotten what he'd been about to say.

"Fucking you against the wall like I promised a couple of weeks ago." His voice was hoarse and she stilled at his words. Before she could utter a yes, before she could beg him to _please do that_, before she could process the fact that he'd been thinking about her even when he wasn't with her, his mouth found hers and she gave herself to him. She wound her arms around his neck and jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist. His hands caught her ass and his fingers dug into her flesh. 

He moved and they continued to kiss until he had her pressed up against the open space outside of her bedroom. He pushed her hard into the wall and she could feel how hard and ready he was for her. He groaned when she pressed into him and squeezed her legs tighter around him and she was _positive _that nothing had ever felt better.

A buzzing against where her leg rested took her by surprise and she pulled back abruptly. His lips were swollen and red and it took everything in her not to ignore what was obviously his phone, ringing in his pocket.

He pulled one of his hands from where he held her and supported her weight with the wall and his other arm. He reached around to grab the phone from his back pocket and cursed when he saw who was calling. He let her go and she dropped her legs from around him in a huff.

He apologized with his eyes but turned to answer the call before she could say anything. She stayed put, praying that they could pick up where they had left off when he was finished. She was _not_ hopeful.

She heard him greet whoever was on the other end of the line with a “hello” and “what's going on?” His voice was rough and he had to clear it between words.

He listened and dropped his head at whatever he was hearing.

"What happened?" He asked quietly from where he stood and she wished that his back wasn't to her so that she could read his expression. She also wished she could hear the other end of the call. His shoulders tensed the longer he listened and any hope she had for this night was out the window.

"Ok. Hang tight - I'm on my way." 

He ended the call and turned to her but he was already half way out the door, she could tell.

"Gotta go." He said quickly with no apology or explanation. He turned towards the couch and sat to put on his sneakers. She bit at her fingernail and watched as he tied his shoes.

"Is everything alright?"

He nodded and stood. "Yeah." And she knew she wasn't getting anything more out of him. She frowned but he seemed so...out of sorts that she couldn't find it in herself to push him further. She just wished he would confide in her - give her something - but she knew it wasn't happening tonight.

"Okay." Was her response because what else could she say? He walked over to her and cupped her cheek briefly with one hand. His thumb brushed her lip and it made her feel better when he lingered longingly on her mouth.

"See you soon, k?" And then he was gone.

*******

"So he just left?" Annie asked her nose scrunched up at Beth as she recounted the night before with Rio.

"Yep."

"And you don't know why?"

"Nope."

"And us coming here is totally innocent right? You just really like the...." Annie looked over to the food that sat in front of Beth. "burgers here?"

Beth rolled her eyes at her sister and picked at the fries on her plate. She, Annie and Ruby attempted a weekly girl’s dinner out but Ruby had bailed tonight. Beth had casually suggested to Annie that they come here since it was equal distance between where they both lived. Luckily for Beth, her sister was always agreeable. "I don't even know if he's here tonight."

Annie hummed and tossed one of her own fries into her mouth. "You realize you could like...just text him and ask him if everything is okay? Or you could say hey fuck buddy I'm at the business you own will you be making an appearance tonight?”

"I _did _text him. He hasn't answered." Beth said with a frown.

Annie considered her sister's forlorn face and attempted to make her feel better. "Maybe it was a family emergency or something."

Beth let out a dramatic sigh and sipped at her drink before answering. "Why couldn't he just tell me that then?"

"He doesn't really seem like the sharing type. He's kind of shady, Beth." Annie's face took on a look as if to say she felt guilty for saying it but not so guilty that she would keep it to herself.

"He's not shady." Beth defended adamantly. It annoyed Beth because it was not the first time Annie had used the word in reference to Rio.

Annie turned so that her body was facing Beth completely and she pinned her sister with a look. "He was about to plow you against the wall and then gets a sketchy phone call and just leaves? Shady."

Beth ignored the first half of her comment and focused on the latter end of what her sister had said. "It must have been personal."

Annie wasn't having it though. "Yeah, so is wall sex. He at least owed you some kind of an explanation."

Beth sighed, giving in. She couldn't exactly disagree with her sister. The more she had thought about it after Rio had fled so quickly the more annoyed she had gotten. He owed her more than he had given her and the next time she saw him she fully intended to tell him that. You know what they say about the best-laid intentions though.

She and Annie both picked at their food as they sat at the bar, each of them lost in their thoughts. Annie had gotten into a fight with Greg earlier that day, something she had spent the first hour of their night ranting to Beth about. Beth hated to admit it but she was envious of her sister's relationship. At least she and Greg talked enough so that they actually had something to fight about. 

Beth's phone vibrated where it sat on the bar and she picked it up quickly, hoping it was Rio responding to her earlier text. She had asked again if "everything was okay" and inquired about whether he would be at Flip tonight. 

It wasn't Rio though, it was Dean, and she groaned. Instead of answering Annie's questioning glance, she handed the phone over to her sister.

_Hi Bethie. Really hoping we can talk soon. I miss you._

"He's certainly persistent." Annie muttered, handing the phone back to Beth.

And he was, Beth agreed. It was not the first text of the sort she had gotten from Dean and they were increasing in number by the day. She had been putting him off for weeks now, always with some kind of excuse. She was running out of reasons for why she couldn’t see him and she knew she would have to give in to him sooner rather than later.

She placed her phone back down on the bar, ignoring the text for now. She would have to answer at some point but she was not in any frame of mind to do so now. 

Beth picked up her burger and took a big bite deciding she would do her best to enjoy her night with her sister and not dwell on her mostly insignificant problems. 

"Incoming." Annie said. Her wine glass was half way to her mouth but she stopped it mid-air. Beth looked over at her sister confused by what she meant. When she saw her eyes glued to something behind the bar over Beth's shoulder, she turned.

Rio was there, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere. His gaze was locked on Beth. She couldn't tell if he looked angry or annoyed or just like typical Rio. He certainly wasn't grinning from ear to ear but had he ever smiled that big at _anything_?

"Hi." She said quickly when he was standing in front of her, only the bar separated them. 

"Hey." He answered tentatively as if he were trying to figure out her angle. Was she here for him or was she here for dinner with her sister? He looked over to where Annie sat and gave her a slight head nod. 

"This is Annie." Beth said unnecessarily. They both knew whom the other was but had never been formally introduced. 

Annie reached out her hand to shake his. He hesitated for a second but then smirked and took her small hand in his.

"Solid grip." Annie said, impressed, as if Rio cared at all what she thought of him. 

Beth glared at her sister and swung her eyes back to Rio. She wanted to ask him if he had gotten her text but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. "Did you just get here?"

He nodded and Beth watched him glance towards the front entrance of the restaurant before he answered. "Yeah. Not staying though." 

"Oh." She clearly sounded disappointed at his response and he reached forward to tug at a piece of her hair.

"Sorry, sweetheart." She didn't think he sounded especially apologetic but she chose to focus the conversation elsewhere.

"Is everything okay from last night?" 

She glanced at Annie to her left and noticed her sister's eyes moving back and forth quickly between both Beth and Rio as if she were waiting for some kind of show to begin.

Rio briefly looked back at the door again and Beth turned to follow his line of sight. All she could see were tables filled with people and a hostess waiting near the door.

She turned back to him as he answered. "Yep, all good."

She fumed at his callous response and swallowed back the groan she felt ready to release. He stared at her as if daring her to press him and she prepared herself to do so when -

"Daddy!" She swung her head around at the high-pitched squeal and her eyes lowered to see an insanely cute, dark haired boy skipping towards them. He carried a backpack over his shoulders and held a stuffed dog in his arms. He couldn't be more than four and he wore a smile that lit up his face. His right arm was covered in a lime green cast. Her eyes trailed up to the woman walking behind him, a stunning brunette with deep green eyes and tanned skin. 

The boy hopped up onto the empty stool two down from where Annie sat and Beth saw Rio in her peripheral move towards him. He reached his arms up to lift the little boy over the bar and placed him comfortably on his hip. Rio playfully ruffled his hair and Beth had an answer to one question - Rio _did _smile big for something - or someone, rather.

That was when it hit her. This boy had called Rio _daddy_.

Her eyes moved briefly to Annie and the look of wonder on her face was unmistakable - she was getting the show she had been waiting for. Beth looked back to where Rio was holding the boy pointedly ignoring her.

"Hey, pop." She heard him mumble.

She knew she was staring but she couldn't help it. Rio had a son. And an ex-wife? Ex-girlfriend? Ex-baby mama? She didn't peg him as a cheater so she had to believe the beautiful women speaking with him was an ex of some sort. Beth had wanted to get to know him but this was -

"Close your mouth, sis." Annie whispered from next to her and she ignored the hard shove her sister gave her knee.

Beth _did _close her mouth but she didn't stop staring. She watched as Rio spoke quietly with the women she assumed was the boy's mother. She couldn't hear what they said, the restaurant was loud and he'd moved just far enough away that she couldn't make out what they said.

She skimmed over the boy and there was no question - he was Rio's. He was a spitting image and Beth couldn't hold back a small smile at the thought. Her eyes caught on the cast that covered his arm and she wondered if _that _had been the reason for Rio's abrupt departure last night.

They wrapped up their conversation and Rio held the boy out over the bar so that he could kiss his mother goodbye. He giggled as Rio swung him back and forth. The woman smiled and waved as she walked back out the way she had come from, leaving the child with Rio.

Beth fixed Rio with an intent stare and watched as he moved back towards where she and Annie sat. She could tell her face was flushed but why she wasn't sure. If she had to guess, it was a combination of reasons: embarrassment at the realization (and not the first one) that she knew nothing about the guy she was sleeping with, anger at the fact that she'd allowed it, but also...well...attraction at the knowledge that he was a father. The fact that he had a son made her rethink _everything_ she had thought she had known about him. 

She cleared her throat as he approached and pushed the plate in front of her away to keep her hands occupied. He stopped in front of Beth not looking the least bit bothered by her newest discovery.

"Say hi to my friend Elizabeth, pop." He didn't bother to introduce Annie. 

Beth smiled because the kid was adorable and it wasn't his fault that his dad was a pain in her ass. Beth was aware of Annie's obvious confusion at the mention of her sister's full name but the boy smiled tiredly in Beth's direction redirecting her attention to him. "Hi."

Beth returned his grin and waved. "You can call me Beth. What's your name?"

"Marcus! I'm four." He said proudly and her smile widened.

"Wow, four? You're so big!" His enthusiasm was contagious and Beth chuckled when he pressed his head shyly into Rio's neck. 

She hesitated before asking her next question. "What happened to your arm?"

Marcus looked down at his green cast and answered. "I broke my wrist yesterday" but his r's sounded more like w's and Beth covered her grin with her hand when the words that came out of his mouth sounded more like "I bwoke my wist yestewday."

Beth's eyes flicked over to Rio and she found him staring intently back at her. He joking shook the boy in his arms and elaborated. "Rough housin' with his cousin, weren't you?"

Marcus shrugged but his grin was timid. The conversation lulled and Beth wished she could get a moment alone with Rio. Her list of questions for him had already been a mile long - add a child to the mix and there was no way she was ever getting through them all

"I'm heading out." He said breaking the silence as he adjusted the child on his hip. "Gotta get this one to bed."

"Daddy, I don't want to go to bed." The little boy whined but the yawn that followed said otherwise.

"It was nice to meet you, Marcus." Beth said and Marcus waved goodbye at her.

Rio gave her one last lingering look. She forced a smile but her head was spinning. Based on his look he _knew _there would be a conversation to come but he did not look like he was in much of a rush to have it.

"Talk soon, yeah?" He said, already backing away and turning before she could respond. She watched as he retreated waving at one of the bartenders before disappearing into the back of the restaurant. Her eyes stayed glued on the swinging door and she wished he'd come back and put her mind at least _slightly_ at ease.

"I don't -" Annie started from next to her but she held up her hand in her sister's face and cut her off.

"Nope, not doing it." Beth said because she would not - could not - talk about this right now.

"But, I -” 

"No." Beth said more sternly this time and Annie reeled back, squeezing her lips shut. Beth sighed and silently thanked her sister for holding in every thought and question and comment she had swirling around in her brain. Thank God Ruby wasn't here because shutting down the two of them would probably have been impossible. Beth groaned and dropped her head into her hands

"I need another drink."


	5. Chapter 5

It was another two days before Beth was able to confront Rio about the bomb that had been dropped on her. She had taken some time to process the fact that _Rio was a dad _and she had come to the conclusion that it was a bad thing for one reason only.

It made her like him even more.

Beth was smart enough to realize that what she had set out to do with Rio was becoming slightly more complicated than she originally anticipated. The initial plan had been to have a casual, drama-free relationship with a guy that was the complete and total opposite of Dean and to whom she was insanely attracted. That had gone well for all of a week before Beth had started to catch feelings of the more serious variety. 

To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure where the feelings had come from. Rio was typically closed off and it was like pulling teeth trying to get any information out of him. He didn't woo her or take her on dates (as expected) but she liked his sarcastic sense of humor and bluntness and overall relaxed vibe about everything in life. Most of all, though, she liked how he made her feel. 

It wasn't just the orgasms and unbelievable sex (although she'd put that high on the list) it was the fact that every time he touched her he made her shiver and every time he looked at her he made her feel like she was the most beautiful, perfect human on the planet. He made her feel important and confident and just plain _good _about herself and she liked it. When he did ask questions about her life he seemed interested - he _listened._ There wasn't anything she'd come to know about him so far that she didn't like.

Unless of course you counted his apparent inability and lack of desire to commit to any sort of serious relationship. 

The longer she did this thing with Rio the more it became clear that Ruby was right. Beth Marks was a relationship type of girl. She liked being with someone without pretenses, without wondering. She liked taking care of someone and the feeling of protection that came with a steady boyfriend by her side. She didn't _need _a guy, it just so happened that she'd come across Rio soon after (much sooner than anticipated) ending things with Dean and she wanted more of him.

He was on his way over to see her and she had a tentative plan to move from casual rebound to more serious relationship but the plan involved moving slowly as not to startle him. 

First step: find out more about Marcus. 

***

He hadn't immediately given her the chance to accost him with questions because he'd walked into her apartment and planted such a severe kiss onto her lips that she'd forgotten how to even form a sentence let alone pester a guy about his secret child. 

He'd successfully distracted her - she was sure that had been _his _plan - but she wasn't complaining. He had hoisted her up and her legs wrapped around him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He rocked into her and caught her earlobe between his teeth as he moved them onto the couch. 

"Been thinking about this all day." He murmured and she moaned, searching for his mouth again. 

It was comments like this that messed with her head.

He had her laid out on the couch and had her naked in under thirty seconds. His mouth moved down her throat as she arched under him. One of his hands cupped her breast as his mouth closed over the other and she whimpered at the spark that shot through her. 

They continued exploring each other, hands and lips everywhere at once. It was pure need driving them at this point. This was always how she felt with him - desperate, really.

She writhed under him, panting, and he finally moved his hands underneath her panties - the only clothing still covering her body. His fingers slipped into her underwear and he hissed at the wetness he found. "Christ." 

She rolled her hips back and forth as his fingers dipped inside of her. 

"Do you even fuckin' realize what this does to me?” He asked rhetorically, not giving her a chance to answer, as he continued to move inside of her. She gasped and rode his hand, aching. 

Not for the first time she some how had the ability to think about the fact that she could have stayed with Dean and never gotten a chance to experience _this._

He added a second and than third finger and urged her on, his gaze molten, his thumb grazing her clit. One hand gripped her thigh and the other thrust in and out of her until they could both sense her climax building. She came on his fingers but he didn't pull them out until she was forced to make him, too sensitive to allow him to continue.

He chuckled softly in her ear before he started pressing kisses to her shoulder, forehead, cheek. She could feel him through his jeans, hard and ready for her and she proceeded to let him continue to distract her. 

*** 

"How long did you think distracting me with sex would work?" Beth asked much later that night as they lounged in her bed. Her sheet came up to just below his belly button and his arm was over his eyes. The only light in the room came from the full moon outside her small, uncovered window.

"Not as long as it did." He answered with a smirk that she could only just make out in the dark.

She swatted at his arm and he laughed grabbing hold of her hair to give it a playful tug.

"You have a son." She said seemingly out of nowhere but it had been the elephant in the room since he'd arrived. 

"Do I?" He joked, rolling over to check the clock on his phone on the nightstand next to him. She had a feeling it was more for something to do rather than an overwhelming need to know the time.

"Rio, come on." She said, nudging his thigh so that he knew she was serious. 

He shrugged and turned back towards her. "Yeah - I got a kid. Marcus. He's four. He's cute."

"Very cute." She nodded in agreement and he gave her a small smile.

"You get three questions." He ordered because the look on her face made it clear that if he didn’t set some ground rules this would become an all out interrogation.

She scrambled to sit up on the bed, taking along the blanket wrapped around her. She held the covers over her chest and sat so that her legs were tucked underneath her. 

"Do you split custody?" 

He nodded and crossed his arms behind his head that was nestled into a pillow. "Yeah. No court order or nothin' but we got a good thing going." 

"Were you ever married to his mom?"

"Nah." 

She chewed on her lip annoyed at his vagueness but she knew him well enough to know not to push. She contemplated what question three should be when he gave her a push. 

"You got thirty seconds." 

"What's her name?" Is the question she settled on and even she knew it was a stupid question to use when she only had three but she _needed _to know.

He laughed and pushed himself to sit up so that he was leaning against her headboard. "That really what you want to go with?" 

"She's gorgeous." Beth pointed out even though it was completely irrelevant. 

He rolled his eyes and scowled, shaking his head at her. "Jealous don't look good on you." 

"I'm not _jealous."_ She insisted far too quickly. "I'm just stating a fact. And you still haven't answered my question." 

"Camila." He answered easily but it was all he was giving her. 

"She's gorgeous." She repeated and Beth knew she wasn’t helping herself out by saying it again but it was all she had been able to think about.

"You mentioned that." He muttered, scrubbing his face with his hand. She could tell he was getting annoyed and she was smart enough to realize that she was acting a little insanely.

"Is that your usual type?" She asked as innocently as possible. 

He rolled his head in her direction and raised an eyebrow at her, "What?" 

Beth shrugged. "Skinny. Tan. Brunette. Perfect." 

"You fishin' for a compliment?" His tone was dry and he was clearly running out of patience. 

"No!” She said defiantly. “Just curious." 

"I don't got a type."

"Clearly." Beth scoffed because looks wise she could not have been more different than his ex. 

Beth had way surpassed her allotted amount of questions but she figured she'd continue until he didn't let her anymore. "Were you guys together for long?"

"You way over your limit." He said, shaking his head. He slid down into the bed so that he was lying down - his attempt to end the conversation. 

She didn’t respond just gave him a look, and a pout, and it worked. 

"Couple years." And it was not at all what she expected him to say. 

Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. She tried really hard to play it cool but her voice was high when she spoke. "A couple of years!? I thought serious relationships weren't your thing?"

"They ain't anymore." He answered effectively shutting down the conversation. 

It left Beth to wonder whether or not Rio had once upon a time had his heartbroken. 

***

"Rio?" She asked some time later, unsure if he was even still awake. 

"Hm?" He hummed to acknowledge her but she could tell he was close to sleep.

"Did you not want me to come to your place because you didn't want me to know about Marcus?" 

"Just easier that way." He answered but it’s not entirely satisfying.

"What way?" She responded in confusion. 

"Stickin' to your place." 

"Why though?" She puts an emphasize on the ‘why’ because she needs actual answers and not just vague responses that get them nowhere. 

"What's with the cross examination tonight, sweetheart?” His question is quiet but forceful and it’s obvious he’s over this. She didn't care though. She deserved some clarification and she wasn't willing to let him off the hook like she normally did. 

"I want to see where you live." Her tone is insistent and he creased his eyebrows in question. It was clear he didn't understand her strong desire to see where he lived.

"Why?" 

"Because I want to get to know you more." She answered in a voice that made it clear she didn’t see the issue. 

He groaned and readjusted his position in the bed. "See that's the problem. That ain't what this is. You know that. You’re blurrin’ the lines a little bit, darlin'.”

She sighed and rolled so that she was facing him completely. He was laying on his back with his arms crossed over his chest and had yet to look at her. “I don't understand the big deal about me coming over to your place every once in a while. Or wanting to get to know you.” 

“Just complicates things.”

"I don’t agree.”

"Just trust me on this one.” It's not the first time he had asked her to “trust” him based on the fact that he had more experience with these things than she did. 

"Would it hurt to do something besides have sex? Or at least to have sex somewhere else?" Beth asked attempting to curb her frustration with him. 

"It would cuz that ain't what this is. Remember that conversation we had a month ago? About me bein' a rebound? ‘Bout you not gettin’ stars in your eyes?" 

She rolled her eyes and pushed her arm up so that her elbow was digging into her pillow and her head was resting in her palm. She wanted to convince him of the next words out of her mouth even though she didn't believe them herself. “I don't have stars in my eyes.”

"You're confusin' good sex with something more.” He finally looked in her direction because he wanted to make sure she understood. She did but she wasn't willing to let it go quite yet.

“I just like you. I don't know what's so wrong with that.” She replied as if it were that simple. 

“It's not wrong if it's what we decided on but it ain’t.” 

She could feel a shift in their relationship following the conversation she had dubbed ‘the one that went absolutely nowhere’. They talked in circles but didn’t come to any sort of understanding or agreement. They’d gone to sleep without settling anything and he’d been gone early the next morning - giving her a quick kiss to the forehead as he made his exit. 

She had pushed - more so than she had intended - and so she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised when he started to slowly pull away. 

It wasn't completely her fault though. He was partially to blame for putting these thoughts into her head. Often times he did things that made her _think _he might be feeling something more for her. 

_For weeks Beth’s car had been giving her trouble. The last straw had been when it hadn't started right before she was due to meet with the owner of a small boutique in town about selling her quilts. _

_Neither Ruby nor Stan had been home and in a panic Beth had called Rio. _

_“‘Yeah?” He answered his phone after the third ring._

_"My car won't start again!" She responded as a greeting. She'd complained to him about her vehicle problems the week before so she knew he would understand what she was talking about._

_"Did you try to jump it like I showed you?" Just the other morning he had made her get up at the ungodly hour of six o’clock so that he could teach her, before he left, how to jump start a car if the problem ever arose. _

_"No one else is home." She knew her voice was whiny but she was frustrated and very late for her meeting. _

_He was quiet on the other line for a minute as if he were thinking about alternative options. He sighed and she could picture him running his hand over his short, cropped hair in frustration. "I got Marcus with me." _

_Beth rolled her eyes even tough he couldn't see her and shifted the phone attached to her ear. "I don't bite, Rio." _

_He chuckled but she could tell he was hesitant so she continued. "I'm supposed to be at a meeting right now! I was really close to getting them to sell my stuff and now they'll probably think I'm irresponsible and a liar because everyone uses the 'car trouble' excuse when they're running late and it ruins it for us truthful people who really do have shitty cars!"_

_He groaned and relented. "Relax, sweetheart. I'll be right there."_

And he was right there, in less than twenty minutes, and he did get her car started. He'd even given her the name of a friend of his that could take a look at it (what kind of _rebound _did that). She had spent some time hanging out with Marcus while he tinkered with something underneath the hood of her car and she had discovered that the boy was adorable in every way. He was talkative and friendly and just a joy to be around. Beth had been laughing with him about something when Rio had finished up and she caught him staring at the two of them, sitting on the front steps of Ruby's house. She couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking - whatever it was Beth could tell his feelings were mixed. Thy had left right after but not before Marcus has enveloped her in a big hug.

It was after that encounter that she'd really felt the distance. It had been another few days after that before she saw him again and instead of letting him get over whatever annoyance he was still feeling towards her - she'd only succeeded in driving more of a wedge between them.

She’d seen an opportunity when Dean had texted mid-make out. She'd attempted to get a rise out of Rio and tried to make him jealous by stopping what they had been doing so that she could respond. It had _significantly _backfired. She should have known better and she did but he had accused her of being childish, of showing her age and "lack of experience." It had pissed her off and embarrassed her equally. It had ruined their night and he had left agitated and half hard. 

Ultimately, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

But she liked Rio, wanted to keep spending time with him. For now, she would make the best out of what he was willing to give her and hope that maybe, over time, he would weaken to her undeniable charm.

*******

The wine Beth had been drinking shot out of her mouth with no warning. She wasn't sure how, at this point, she wasn't completely immune to the outrageous things that came out of Annie's mouth but her sister still managed to take her by surprise sometimes. 

"You're not right in the head." Ruby muttered in Annie's direction but her eyes were bright and it was clear to everyone at the table that she was amused. 

Beth grabbed her napkin to wipe up the liquid she had spit onto the table in front of her and shook her head in laughter at her sister. She looked up, grinning at the people around the table. It was a Friday night and she had made dinner for Ruby and Stan. Annie had texted looking for something to do so she and Greg had joined them at the last minute. The group of them had not hung out in a while and it was nice to be able to chill out and relax with the people she loved most in the world.

It did, however, feel like something - or someone - was missing at the table and it was clear to Beth that it was Dean. She didn't miss _him _exactly but she did miss having someone that was there exclusively for her. She missed how he had rounded out the group. Five was such an _odd _number. She had contemplated inviting Rio but hadn't been up for the inevitable rejection. She hadn't heard from him in a few days and was justifiably displeased. Each day she felt herself becoming more unhappy with their current situation

"You think I'm joking but I'm telling you he has a picture of Jessica Alba in his wallet and pretends that she's his fiance." Annie said with a massive smile spread across her face. She had been regaling the group with stories about her boss at Fine n' Frugal, the grocery store she worked at part-time in between classes. Boomer, as she called him, was a creep and Beth hated the fact that her sister worked for someone like him. 

"Be careful with that guy, Annie." Beth warned. 

Greg nodded from where he sat next to Annie. "Don't worry he knows not to mess with her or he'll have to deal with me."

Annie barked out a laugh and pulled her boyfriend in for a playful hug. "Because you're so strong and scary looking, babe."

"I'll pay him a visit in my uniform, that'll freak him out." Stan interjected. 

"If not you can always stick Beth's new boyfriend on him. No one wants to mess with a guy that has a neck tattoo." Annie pointed out and Beth rolled her eyes but didn't engage. 

"Your boyfriend has a neck tattoo?" Greg asked in confusion, looking to Annie for confirmation. His girlfriend nodded and tapped him on the check because she'd already told him this - obviously. 

"He's not my boyfriend." Beth cleared up quickly. She had been hoping to avoid the topic of Rio all together. 

Her phone buzzed on the table and she reached to pick it up. 

"Is that Dean again? You've got to throw that poor boy a bone." Ruby mumbled. Beth had been bringing Ruby and Annie up to date on Dean's constant text messages while she had prepared dinner earlier. Beth had been texting back and forth with him for the last few weeks but had never committed to what he wanted - to meet up and talk. She knew though, that she was running out of excuses and that if she didn't set a time to talk with with him soon he would show up on her doorstep and force her to. 

As cold as she seemed regarding Dean, Beth _did _feel bad. She had loved him for years and for so long their lives had revolved around the other. It had been so easy, though, for her to move on from him. Beth didn't find herself missing Dean, didn't find herself wondering what he was up to. She found it strange, in fact, that she had no idea what was going on with him these days. She didn't know if he was dating but based on his growing urgency to talk to her she guessed not. Stan had seen him once since the breakup - had met up with him to get a beer and watch the game - but their friendship had mostly been thanks to the girls and without that connection their bond had dissipated. 

She ignored the conversation that started around her - everyone throwing in their two cents about Dean - and lifted her phone to read her message. She furrowed her brows in confusion.

_Where are you?_

She typed back to Rio quickly.

_At home. Why?_

_I'm outside. _

She pushed her seat back and stood, already making her way towards the front door as she spoke. "Be right back." 

She moved through the living room and swung the front door open to head outside. She saw Rio's car parked in front of the house but didn't see him so she moved towards the back where the door to her apartment was.

He stood there looking down at the phone in his hand, most likely waiting for her to respond. 

"Hi." She greeted, walking up to where he waited outside her door. It wasn't quite dark yet but it was close to eight and the sun was starting to set.

"Yo." He answered with a head tilt, stuffing his phone into his pocket. 

"I didn't know you were coming." She said coolly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She shifted her weight to one side and met his gaze. It wasn't that she was angry at him but she felt some form of annoyance brewing inside of her.

"I been here every Friday night for the last month." He answered narrowing his eyes at her. He could sense an attitude, hear _something _in her tone but he wasn't ready to call her out on it. 

She thought on that for a moment and yes, she supposed he had, but it wasn't like they had a standing date. She hadn't seen or heard from him in days and she was hanging out with her friends. 

"I'm hanging out upstairs." She said, motioning towards the house. "My sister and her boyfriend are here. Come have a drink with us."

And she knew what his answered would be - knew exactly what to expect from him at this point - but it didn't change the fact that her stomach dropped when he shook his head and answered with a casual, "nah." 

She bit her lip because she had the sudden urge to cry. It could have been the wine making her extra emotional but most likely it was him. He could see everything she was thinking written all over her face which was why she didn't say anything right away. She didn't trust herself to say the right thing - although in this situation, the right thing would have been to cut her losses and protect herself from future heartbreak. 

"I don't know what you want from me, Elizabeth." He said with a shrug. Usually the use of her full name brought her to her knees (literally, once) but not this time. If anything, it upset her more. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and waited. His hood half covered his head but his gaze was intent on her, he never shied away from eye contact and she held his gaze as she answered. 

"Yes, you do." 

She was proud of her response because he _did _know. Maybe they had agreed to a casual relationship but she'd made it clear as of late that she had developed stronger feelings and even though he'd pulled away slightly he also hadn't let go completely. She knew he felt something for her, it wasn't all one-sided, she just had to figure out why he was so hell bent on ignoring it.

"I ain't the bad guy here. You knew what this was from the beginning. Don't know how many times we have to do this."

"Why can't we re-evaluate what was decided almost two months ago?"

He averted his gaze and his jaw clenched tightly before he answered. "Cuz I don't want to."

It was a slap in the face but probably the brutal honesty she needed. 

They stood there, both silent, letting his words settle. She crossed her arms over her chest and shivered. It hit her, all at once, that months ago she'd ended a relationship because she wanted to. Now a relationship was probably ending because it had to.

"I don't want to just be some booty call to you." She hated to use the term but it was becoming more and more clear that it was accurate. Sure they talked and they'd gotten to know each other a little bit but for the most part he sought her out to have sex and, up until now, she had let him because she had wanted to. She didn't want to anymore, She wanted _more _and if ten years spent with the wrong guy taught her anything it was that there was no time like the present to go after what you wanted, even if it left you alone. 

He laughed bitterly moving to step closer to her. "I told you this wouldn't work for you. Told you, you‘re wife material. Should've listened to myself, huh?" 

"You also told me you don't play games." She shot back, throwing his past words into his face. 

"I ain't playin' games, ma." He said easily. 

He was too close to her and it was tempting to just cave under the smell of him, the look of him, and forget everything. It would be easier to pull him into her apartment and let him have his way with her but Beth didn't want easy anymore. "You're playing with my head. I don't get how you can stand there and pretend you don't have any feelings for me."

He shook his head back and forth and she could see that he was getting angrier by the second. He contained his anger, just like always, and answered her in his cool, almost scary, calm voice. "I ain't pretendin' about nothin'. I like hangin' with you, I like what we got goin' on. I really like fuckin' you. But I ain't lookin' for a girlfriend or a wife or for some bitch to tie me down."

She glared. "Don't call me a bitch." 

"I'm not call-" But he stopped himself mid-sentence because it wasn't even worth it and, besides, she knew what he meant.

"You should go." She said, because they were talking in circles, had been for a while now, and she really had nothing left to say. She wouldn't - couldn't - beg him to want what she wanted.

"No shit." He said but he didn't make a move to leave. He seemed like he was hesitating. Seemed like maybe there was something he wanted to say but wouldn't let himself but, then again, maybe Beth was seeing something she only wished was there.

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she looked down to a text from Ruby asking if everything was okay. She ignored it and placed the phone in the back pocket of her jeans.

"That your ex, again?" He asked snidely referring to her attempt to make him jealous the last time Dean had texted in front of him.

Hoped swelled in her chest but she pushed it down before it could blossom and bit back, "What do you care?"

She shivered, the night air was chilly and the t-shirt she wore did little to keep her warm. Typically, she assumed, he would have offered her his sweatshirt and she thought she saw him eye the goosebumps on her arm and consider it but just as quickly as the thought flashed in his eyes, it was gone. 

"It's been fun, yeah?" He asked quietly,pulling his car keys out of his pocket. 

She nodded but couldn't open her mouth to respond because she could feel the tears threatening to fall. Did he really care that little? 

He stepped forward and reached his free hand up to push a piece of her hair behind her ear. A lone tear escaped from her eye and he brushed it away with the pad of his thumb.

"For what it's worth I'm sorta proud of you for goin' after what you want." He said, the corner of his mouth titling up in a small smile.

"Too bad it doesn't want me back." She whispered.

He opened his mouth to protest but then closed it because there was really only one thing he could say to make her feel better at this point and anything else would just be wasted breath.

"You'll be fine." He said assuredly. He swiped his finger over her lip and she thought that he might lean in for a kiss but he didn't. He pulled back and walked away. She watched him get into his car and wondered how a fun night with her friends had turned into this.

At the thought of her friends, her sister, she sighed and turned to walk back into the house where she could let the tears fall freely.

Funny thing was, she hadn’t cried once over Dean. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You all asked for Rio’s POV and I TRIED to deliver. Writing his perspective does NOT come easy to me though so I hope I did it justice. A lot of this chapter overlaps with what we’ve previously seen. I hope it meets your expectations 🤞🏻 Thanks again for all of the support, reviews, and kudos!

Rio pulled the keys out of the ignition of his car and leaned his head against the back of his seat. He closed his eyes and gave himself a minute to succumb to the the bone deep exhaustion he felt throughout his body. He had been going all day and that was after having spent hours in the emergency room last night. After receiving the frantic phone call from his ex he had rushed to be by his son's side. Marcus had been wrestling with his older cousins when one wrong move had sent him to the hospital, in an ambulance, with a broken wrist. 

A small smile appeared on Rio's face at the pride that swelled in his chest. The kid had been a champ - hadn't complained once about the pain and had only smiled when his father had appeared in the hospital room. He'd been ecstatic to tell his dad that he would get to wear a cast and that he could even pick what color it would be.

Rio had spent the remainder of his time at the hospital calming his ex-girlfriend and reassuring Marcus that, yes, he would still be able to attend his best friend's birthday party at the aquarium the next weekend. 

It had been late when Rio had finally dragged himself into his apartment last night and he'd had an early and busy day today. He'd crawled into bed, forgoing a shower even though he probably needed one. His head hit the pillow and his thoughts immediately floated to the woman he'd left in a hurry hours earlier. 

With the chaos and worry that came from dealing with Marcus she hadn't crossed his mind until now. He groaned, rolling over to bury his head into his pillows. He'd been thinking about getting inside of her _all day_ and being interrupted had been painful. Marcus was the only person, the only thing, that could have pulled him away from her in that moment and the look on her face when he had ended his call was _almost _enough to make him reconsider his immediate exit. It had been a fleeting thought but he had contemplated getting her off before he left. He could usually do it in no time at all but then he'd remembered how freaked out Camila had sounded on the phone and he thought better of it.

He sighed - he could still feel Beth's legs wrapped around his waist and his dick twitched at the thought. He pushed his hand inside of his underwear to tug at his growing hard on but he was far too tired to take care of it. Not like it would have come close to measuring up to how she felt on top of him anyway. 

He had gone on autopilot when he'd received the call from Camila. He knew that he owed Beth some sort of explanation - or, at the very least - an apology for screwing out of her place so quickly. The right thing to do would be to text her now. The right thing to do would have been to give her some sort of explanation. He could give her _more _without giving her _everything _but - fuck it - he was way too tired. He'd take care of it tomorrow.

But tomorrow came and went and the mind-numbing tiredness he had felt the night before didn't disappear, only intensified. He'd been up with the birds and had been non-stop all day. It was hectic owning three restaurants even if he was only a silent partner for one of them. _Flip_ was his baby but he had his hands in a lot of different aspects of each and it took its toll. 

Beth had crossed his mind at random points throughout the day, the same way she always did, but he'd never been able to take a minute to get in touch with her. He was a firm believer in not putting off til tomorrow what you could do today but something was holding him back from messaging her. He was pretty sure that it had to do with the fact that she was developing stronger feelings for him. Stronger feelings that went way beyond those of a rebound. He was adamant about setting boundaries with her because as much as he liked hanging out with her and talking to her and fucking her - he was _not _interested in a serious relationship ever again 

Was he?

He'd tried to be clear with her from the beginning and even though he enjoyed the time he spent with her he wasn't interested in changing his mind. 

At least, he didn’t think so.

He was having fun with Beth, liked the "relationship" they'd built but he was hesitant to give her more than some casual conversation and mind blowing sex. The more time they spent together the more he realized that his initial instincts about her had been right. She wasn't the casual type of girl - she was the marrying type, the serious girlfriend type - and as much as she may have wanted this rebound to be the right fit for her, it wasn't. 

Or so he kept telling himself. 

He tried to keep her at arms length but she made it difficult with her questions, and cute smile, and sexy as sin body. He could tell she was getting frustrated with his unwillingness to let her any closer but he was doing it for both of them - he was doing it so that she didn't get the wrong idea and so that _he _didn't get in over his head. 

He'd been with several girls since Camila and he'd always known when to end things - always known when they were getting too serious - but with Beth he wanted to prolong the ending as long as possible. He wasn't sure what it was about her - she was certainly different than anyone else he'd ever been with - but she intrigued him. He liked her quiet confidence, the fact that she came off as sweet and innocent but could give just as good as she got. He liked that she'd ordered bourbon just because she wanted to prove him wrong. He liked that she had been able to turn down a marriage proposal from a guy she'd been with for ten years. That showed balls - showed she knew what she wanted (or at least what she didn't want) and that she wasn't afraid to go after it. 

It didn't hurt that her body was made to be worshiped.

A knock to his car window jerked him from his thoughts and he opened his eyes to see his bar manager and friend attempting to get his attention. 

"You takin' a nap?" Demon asked with a smirk as Rio opened the car door and pushed his way out. 

Rio scoffed. "I'd fuckin' pay to be takin' a nap."

Demon chuckled and the two men made their way towards the back entrance of _Flip_. Demon had been working for Rio since he'd opened the place two years ago. They had grown up together and Rio had promised himself that he'd give his boys an opportunity to make something of themselves if they wanted to. They had grown up on the wrong side of the tracks in Detroit and both had gotten themselves into their fair share of trouble - Demon had even done a few years in prison in his early twenties. He was trustworthy though and loyal to his core and Rio knew he could depend on him. 

That did not mean, however, that Demon didn't still have his hands in some shady business. For half of the cut, Rio let him take care of his extracurriculars through the restaurant. For the most part, Rio tried to stay out of the actual drug dealings. On occasion, though, his friend called on him to shake up some dodgy client. Rio couldn't resist the temptation to knock out a few teeth every once in a while. Not too long ago Rio had been successful with washing fake cash and moving legitimate (although illegal) drugs through his businesses but ever since Marcus had been born his priorities had begun to shift.

"What are you even doing here?" Demon asked as the two men made their way towards the back entrance of the restaurant. "Thought you were takin' the night off."

Rio side-eyed his friend because he didn't even know what a night off meant these days. "Mila is droppin' off Marcus here. Was more convenient than havin' her come all the way to my place. Plus I been with Luis at _Prime_ all day." 

"Thought you were gonna take a step back from that place and let him do the work." Demon asked, pulling the door open and letting Rio enter in front of him. 

"Yeah, well, can't do that 'til we hire a new manager and I don't trust Luis not to hire based on tit size alone."

Demon laughed and nodded as if he knew _exactly _what Luis was all about. They entered through the kitchen and Rio nodded at the staff working hard, prepping food. He stopped to have a word with his head chef and than made his way out into the bar area. He pushed through the swinging door that lead from the kitchen to the bar and immediately, as if he was drawn to her, his gaze feel on to Beth. 

She was sitting with her sister at the bar, looking at something on her phone. His eyes skimmed over her, lingering briefly on his two very favorite parts of her, before moving back to her face. He couldn't decide what he was feeling at the moment. His first instinct had been to get her into his office as quickly as possible so that they could finish what they hadn't been able to last night. This was not unusual. Typically when he looked at her his foremost thought was how soon he could get his hands on her.

Realistically though, he didn't have the time and he was also feeling annoyed with her. Yes, this was a public place and yes, he was happy for the business but her being here wasn't a coincidence. She was here to see him and while in most cases he would be okay with that, right now, when Marcus was minutes away from showing, he was not. 

Because he did _not _want Beth to know he had a son. His son was off limits in his personal relationships and the fact that he was far more into Beth than any other girl he'd been with lately, didn't change the fact.

His feet started moving in Beth's direction, although, he wasn't sure what exactly he was going to say. He was logical enough to know that it wasn't her fault that Marcus was coming, wasn't her fault that he didn't want his two worlds colliding, but the fact that she was here to see him, that she hadn't given him a choice, was getting on his nerves. 

He saw her sister mumble something as she went to take a sip of her wine and he knew that she had seen him making his way over. Beth's head swung around and met his eyes. Her lips turned up in a small smile and it tampered his anger down significantly. He was a prick, that he could admit, but he definitely had a soft spot for the woman in front of him. 

"Hi." She greeted before he could say anything and he answered with a tentative 'hey' in response. Her voice was sweet and innocent and how could he be annoyed with her when she looked at him with those eyes and that pout?

"This is Annie." Beth said nodding towards the young girl next to her. Rio already knew that though. He remembered her from the last time they'd been here and he'd seen numerous pictures scattered throughout Beth's apartment. She was cute but had nothing on her older sister.

The blonde reached her hand out to shake his. He hesitated because, really? but then he gave in and took her small hand in his.

"Solid grip." Annie said and he smirked because maybe the two sisters didn't look alike but they both definitely had that smart ass sense of humor he'd come to appreciate. 

He dropped her hand and noticed Beth glare at her sister. He looked on, amused, having momentarily forgotten why he'd been so annoyed to begin with. 

"Did you just get here?" Beth asked, bringing him back to reality. He glanced towards the front door of the restaurant and let out a breath when he didn't see a small child entering.

"Yeah. Not staying though." He was purposefully being cold, he knew it, but she was ruining the one strict rule he set for himself as a parent without even knowing it. 

"Oh." He heard her say in response and he looked back at her. She looked so disappointed, so sad, that it burned a pit in his stomach. He wouldn't normally care about disappointing a girl but she wasn't just any girl and he found that he loved that she just wanted to spend time with him and hated it all at once.

He reached out without thinking and playfully tugged at a piece of her loose hair. 

"Everything okay from last night?" Her question was innocent enough, it was natural of her to ask, but it just reminded him of why he was bothered in the first place.

"Yep, all good." He'd told himself that he would give her more but now that the time was here he was set on keeping her as out of the loop and as far away from his personal life as possible.

He could tell she was angry, could see her cheeks turning red in frustration and he wanted to grin. He loved when she got mad at him, loved when she stood up for herself - had loved it from the first night he'd met her - but he wasn't interested in fighting with her at the moment, especially over this. He stared at her and dared her to say what was on her mind.

"Daddy!" He heard the familiar voice and grinned slightly. He glanced in the direction that the sound came from and nodded towards Camila and Marcus.

For a split second his gaze fell to Beth as she turned towards the boy and put the pieces into place. He watched her eyes widen as she figured out what was going on but before she could look back towards him he was moving down the bar. He watched Marcus jump up onto a stool and he reached his arms out over the bar so that he could scoop him up and place him onto his hip. 

"Hey Pop." He said, because even if these circumstances weren’t ideal he'd never take it out on his kid. 

He glanced to where Camilia stood and gave her a small smile. "Hey."

She smiled back and returned his greeting before her gaze moved to Marcus. "Tell daddy how you haven’t complained once."

"'Cept when it was itchy, mommy!" Marcus said and Rio laughed. 

Camila rolled her eyes and met Rio's gaze. "Of course, I forgot. He tried to stick a pencil down there to get the itch."

"It worked!" Marcus beamed with pride and Rio and Camilia laughed because how could you not? He was the epitome of innocence and Rio loved how he had something in his life to remind him how good things could be. 

Rio could feel Beth's eyes on him but didn't look over. He was sure everything she was thinking was written across her face and he was amused that he'd caught her completely off guard. The cat was out of the bag now and he supposed there was nothing he could do about it at this point.

"You got everything?" Rio asked, eyeing his son's backpack.

The little boy nodded as his eyes roamed around the busy restaurant. 

"Ibuprofen in his bag in case he needs it." Camila said, frowning at the idea of leaving her son who had just broken his wrist. Rio saw the look cross her face and shook his head. Even after everything they'd been through together he could still read her mind.

"He'll be fine. I got this." 

"I know. It's just a bad time to have to go on a work trip." Camila answered. Rio knew her concern didn't come from not trusting him but from her inability to give up any control over her son. Marcus was Rio's whole world but Camila was his mother and so the thought of having to go away on a business trip when he was hurting, hurt her.

"Tell your ma you'll be fine."

"Mommy, I'll be fine!" Marcus encouraged with a wide grin and she returned it. Rio grabbed hold of Marcus around the waist and held him over the bar. Marcus giggled and lowered his head so that his mother could place a kiss there. Rio swung him back and forth causing the boy to break out into a fit of laughter which only made Rio and Camila smile. 

He waved to his ex as she walked towards the exit and prepared to face the women behind him. 

He hoisted Marcus back onto his hip and walked back in Beth and Annie's direction. He saw her sister glaring at him but ignored her and focused intently on Beth. She didn't look angry, more surprised than anything else. It wasn't that Rio thought Beth would care that he was a father. On the contrary, all evidence pointed to the fact that Beth would _love _the fact. He could see her doting on Marcus, could picture her being a mother easily, but he wasn't interested in letting her get to know that part of him. 

A simple introduction, however, he could not avoid so he stopped in front of her.

"Say hi to my friend Elizabeth, Pop." He said to Marcus, using the nickname that he'd used since his son was born. 

Beth smiled and it was all natural - she wasn't forcing it even though he could tell the wheels in her head were spinning. Marcus gave a small smile and said, "Hi."

Beth waved and leaned forward. "You can call me, Beth." She said and even though she wasn't looking at Rio he rolled his eyes. He knew it was the name she preferred but it wasn't the name that fit her and he was insistent on calling her Elizabeth no matter how much she protested. He had noticed, however, that the protests had been few and far between as of late. He had a sneaking suspicion that she liked that he used her full name. 

“What's your name?" Beth asked.

Marcus' chest puffed out and he jumped, causing Rio to grip him tighter. "Marcus! I'm four!"

"Four!" Beth said happily and Rio appreciated her enthusiasm. "You're so big!"

Marcus shied away suddenly, nuzzling his head into Rio's neck. Rio chuckled but eyed Beth suspiciously when he noticed her frown. She had a look of concentration on her face and when her eyes settled on Marcus' cast he knew what she was about to do.

"What happened to your arm?" Rio appreciated her boldness - her ability to get the answer she was looking for from anyone that would give it - especially considering he wasn't offering her anything.

Marcus looked down at his arm as if he had forgotten that he wore the cast. He grinned when he noticed the lime green mold wrapped around his arm. "I broke my wrist yesterday." 

He stared directly at Beth as he watched her emotions play over her face. She'd put two and two together and figured out that this was why he had left so abruptly yesterday.

Instead of brushing her off, he shook the boy in his arms and elaborated with a joke, "Rough housin' with his cousin, weren't you?"

Marcus shrugged and gave both Beth and Rio a timid smile. They'd reached a lull in the conversation and Rio took it as an opportunity to make his exit. He was sure that Beth was dying to get him alone, interrogate him, but that would come later, he was sure.

"I'm heading out." He said, looking at her. "Gotta get this one to bed."

Marcus' head shot up from his dad's shoulder and he whined, "Daddy, I don't want to go to bed!" But the yawn that followed immediately said otherwise. 

"It was nice to meet you, Marcus.” Beth said with a smile and Rio was thankful that, for now, she was letting him off the hook. His eyes lingered on her for a moment, he had an overwhelming urge to lean down and kiss her, but that would only cause trouble. Not to mention, Marcus' was smart enough and observant enough not to let something like that go.

"Talk soon, yeah?" He said, backing away before she could respond. He watched her give a small wave and pushed his way back into the kitchen. He said his goodbyes on the way out and made his way towards his car. 

"Daddy, is Beth your girlfriend?" Marcus asked sleepily and Rio smiled when girlfriend came out sounding more like ‘giwlfwiend’.

"Nah, bud. Why you ask that?"

Rio reached into his pocket to retrieve his keys and unlocked the car that came into view. He opened the door and moved to place Marcus into the car seat set up in the back. 

"She's pretty."

"Every pretty girl ain't my girlfriend." He answered with a smile. 

"But I never met one of your friends that was a girl." Marcus pointed out and Rio learned just how observant a four year old really could be.

"Elizabeth is just my friend who happens to be pretty and a girl." 

"Okay." Marcus conceded, getting comfortable in his seat.

"Don't go spillin' the beans to your ma, either." Rio said but his voice was light with amusement and he knew it was pointless anyway. Marcus told his mother everything.

***

It was a few days before Rio caved to his desire to see Beth. He'd been waiting for her to reach out, had figured she'd be dying to interrogate him but he hadn't heard from her and he'd let it lie for a bit. He needed to be in the right frame of mind to deal with her inevitable questioning. 

That didn't mean that waiting to see her was easy. He was dying to get his hands on her, and it wasn't even just the sex although he'd never felt quite so desperate for it. He just wanted to sleep next to her if he was being honest with himself. His bed was bigger than hers and far more comfortable but he liked having her next to him.

He'd had a shit day and he was tired of depriving himself of the one thing he truly wanted. So he hoped into his car and shot a quick text to her. He should've given her more notice but so far she had never turned him down, plus he'd never been very good at making plans.

His phone pinged with her response, a simple _ok_ and he pressed his foot on the gas. 

He knocked upon his arrival but didn't wait for her to answer the door. He let himself in like he'd been doing for a few weeks now. He slammed the door behind him, not on purpose, but he had one focus and that was getting her naked in as little time as possible. 

She was just standing up from her spot on the couch when he laid eyes on her. He could see her mouth open, preparing to greet him but he stopped her before she could. His hands cupped her face and he silenced her with a bruising kiss. She flailed for a moment, her arms reached out to grasp his shoulders, and she nearly fell backwards at the impact but he grabbed her hips before she could go plummeting back down to the couch and then he groaned because, _finally_. 

It hadn't been his intention to put off the Marcus conversation but it worked in his favor. He had to have her now or he thought he might die so he hoisted her up and forced her to wrap her legs around his waist. His dick shot up at the contact and he rocked into her but he ignored his own needs - he was focused on her and only her at the moment. He pulled his mouth from hers and smirked at the cute whine that left her lips. His teeth pulled at her earlobe and he repeated the action when she purred in response. 

"Been thinking about this all day." He muttered as he laid her onto the couch. Because he had been. He'd been thinking about it for days. His hands had been itching to get on her and he wondered why he had waited so long. Why had he punished them both?

She tightened her grip around his neck at his words and he knew that he was probably putting ideas into her head but at the moment, he couldn't find it in himself to care. It was the truth after all.

He ripped her shirt over her head and her pants off her legs in record time. He pulled the cups of her bra down, too impatient to take the material completely off her body. His lips latched on to one nipple and than the other and she writhed under him as he worshiped at her breasts with his hands and his mouth. 

Her hands were everywhere, stroking over his back and up his shirt and across his scalp. They couldn't get enough of each other - were desperate to feel more - but also in no rush to be finished. It was more than want - he felt a need for her that he wasn't sure he'd ever felt. He often had thoughts like that lately - thoughts of how she made him feel things he'd never experienced before - but he pushed them far away not prepared or even sure how to handle them.

She spread her legs further apart and he took it as an invitation to push his hand inside of her panties. He pushed the scrap of lace aside and moaned some sort of expletive when he felt how wet she was _for him_. She was always so ready for him. The possessiveness in him screamed _mine _every time he felt how she responded to him. He was positive that ex of hers had never turned her on the way he did.

"Do you even fuckin' realize what this does to me?" He asked slipping a finger inside of her. His voice was rough and he didn't expect an answer. He didn't think she quite realized the effect she had on him. He could admit he was - for the most part - cool, calm and collected in all facets of life but she seemed capable of unraveling a part of him that not many had been able to. 

He added a second finger when she gasped his name and than a third, stretching her wide open. She rolled her hips back and forth in time with his hand and he pushed his palm against her clit to help finish her off. His eyes stayed open, pinned to her face. Would he ever tire of the view in front of him? Her face was flush, eyes closed, lips slightly parted and it was an image he had engraved in his brain - an image he didn't plan on forgetting anytime soon. 

He gripped her thigh with his free hand and thrust in and out of her harder as he felt the first signs of her climax build. He knew the signs well enough by now. He watched her let go and continued to move his fingers inside of her even as she came down from the high. After a minute she swatted his hand aside and he chuckled at her reaction. 

He dropped his weight on top of her and kissed her forehead, down her neck and across her shoulder as she laid there, spent. He was rock hard in his jeans and he grunted when he felt her hand grab him through the denim. 

He knew they had talking to do but, for now, he pressed a kiss to her lips, all tongue and teeth, and distracted her for as long as she would let him.

***

The next morning, he woke earlier than normal for even him. He rolled onto his side and looked at the sleeping woman next to him. Just like he'd anticipated she had been filled with questions not only regarding Marcus but also his ex. He'd shut down those questions fairly quickly, unwilling to give her what he knew she wanted. 

He'd not been completely surprised at her jealousy but he had been caught off guard by how insecure she had seemed about the obvious differences between the two women. He had told Beth that he didn't have a type but that wasn't entirely true. Camila _was _the type of women he had found himself with for most of his life. Beth was without a doubt the most innocent woman he'd ever been with and she was definitely younger than he usually went for. He preferred a self-assured, mature woman but he'd never pegged Beth as the type that wasn't comfortable in her own skin. She may not have been his normal type but he wasn't thinking of anyone else when he was with her. He thought he'd done a fine job of letting her know _exactly _how much he appreciated every part of her.

His relationship with Camila was complicated. They had met in their mid-twenties through friends and it had been an instant connection. She'd been his first serious relationship - his only one for that matter. He had never found someone he was interested in for longer than a few months. Some might call it picky but he called it knowing what he wanted.

And for a very long time he had only wanted Camila. Things were good with them, _easy_, for several years until they just...weren't. It still pissed Rio off that there was no exact reason they hadn't worked. It just hadn't felt _right_...at least not for him. There hadn't been one defining moment. He noticed over time that he didn't crave her the same way he had in the beginning, didn't need to see her. He loved her, considered her his best friend, but his desire for her had stalled. He'd forced it for a long time because the idea of hurting her had been worse than staying. 

And then she'd gotten pregnant.

He remembered the day like it was yesterday. It'd been just after his twenty eighth birthday and he'd spent weeks trying to figure out the right way to break things off. To say she had been ecstatic about the pregnancy would be an understatement. Looking back, Rio assumed she had felt him pulling away and had hoped a baby might solve their problems.

Rio had hoped the same.

And for a few months it had.

He'd never, not once, thought about starting a family of his own. He'd never imagined himself with kids, never contemplated marrying Camila. He knew those were things that she had wanted but he had never seen seen himself as the type. Could never imagine wanting to be with one person _forever_. 

But the excitement of having a child wore off and reality set in. Camila started talking about moving in together and houses and marriage and he realized that while he was thrilled at the prospect of having a child he wasn't thrilled that it was happening with _her_. 

Instead of having the courage to end things he pulled away. Went out more with his friends, spent more tome at his place, didn't return calls. He was an asshole - no doubt about it - and finally when she'd been two months away from delivering she called him out on it.

And she let him have it.

And he had felt _relieved_. 

He broke her heart. Told her everything he'd been feeling, told her how long he'd been feeling it, told her he'd hoped the baby would change things but it hadn't. 

And she'd been devastated.

And he'd been the jerk. And sure he deserved it all but he couldn't make sense of staying with someone to play pretend. Couldn’t make sense of staying with someone out of guilt.

He’d never cheated but he’d been tempted and that right there was reason enough to cut things off.

Through all the hard times, and there were many, Camila never put Marcus in the middle of their problems and for that Rio would be forever grateful. He'd been there for the birth of Marcus and he'd been involved since the very beginning but it had taken her a long time to forgive him, to get over him, to stop trying to change his mind. Over the last year she had finally come to terms with their relationship - with his feelings - and things had been good. 

They now had a friendly relationship, were successful "co-parents." They were all happy - especially Marcus - which was really all that mattered. Camila had even been dating someone fairly seriously for the last few months and Rio was happy for her.

He, however, had no plans to settle down. If he couldn't find it in himself to be with the mother of his child he didn't figure there was anyone that could tie him down. 

The night he had met Beth he had felt that same instant connection, that same spark, that he had felt with Camila. He'd chalked it up as a coincidence until Beth showed up a month later and _this _had started. He couldn't pinpoint what exactly was different - how he felt with Beth was suspiciously how he had felt with Camila in the beginning of their relationship - but there was something about her that had him feeling on edge.

He sighed and scrubbed his hand across his face. He went back and forth between what the best course of action was.

The original plan was to keep it simple and casual and fun but he knew from the beginning that Beth would not do well with that. As much as she wanted to be able to handle it she was the type that needed rules and structure and labels. It wasn't a bad thing - just wasn't what he wanted.

(But did he even know what he wanted?)

The more time he spent with her the more he found he liked her_ as much_ as he wanted her. He looked forward to seeing her and as much as he'd been against her finding out about Marcus he wasn't particularly upset about it anymore. He liked not having to keep such a huge part of his life a secret from the person he spent most of his free time with. 

She had been becoming increasingly pushier about seeing where he lived. He'd been opposed to it initially because his apartment was mostly just a loft, Marcus' room didn't even have a door - it would have been a clear giveaway. But now that the cat was out of the bag he felt like it created more boundaries - boundaries that were increasingly important to keep in place the more comfortable with her he got. 

Because he was good at pretending not to care, pretending to be nonchalant, but he too found himself sometimes forgetting what this had started as. 

He'd forgotten the things he'd _liked _about being in a relationship. Being the protector for one thing. He liked the way Beth looked at him. He liked teaching her how to jump start her car and being able to fix the leak in her shower. 

He sure as fuck liked making her come. 

But he knew he had to make a decision. He couldn't do those things and expect her not to want more from him.

(He also couldn’t do those things and not become a total caveman that wanted to tattoo his name on her forehead). 

Rio moved to get out of bed slowly and quietly pulled on his clothes. He shoved his phone and wallet into his pockets and moved around to Beth's side of the bed. She shuffled when he sat down on the edge next to her.

"See ya." He mumbled, placing a quick kiss to her forehead.

Her eyes fluttered open but he made a quick getaway before she had the chance to respond.

***

He forced himself to pull away from her in the weeks following their intense conversation at her apartment. Most of their time spend together consisted of sleeping or having sex. He knew that she could tell and he knew something was coming but he couldn't bring himself to end things completely.

He hated that she hadn't given him a choice, that she had been so insistent on messing up the good thing they had going. 

Two weeks later she called him hysterical about her piece of shit car. He had hated the car since the first moment he laid eyes on it.

He'd been hesitant to swing by to help her - Marcus had been with him - but she'd sounded so frantic and he'd felt an overwhelming urge to make everything better for her. 

Seeing her laugh and joke with Marcus had been a punch to the gut. He _liked _seeing her with him and that fucked with his head.

It was the first time he considered the fact that maybe this could be something more than what it was.

He left her that day - his thoughts a scrambled mess. He was questioning everything he'd been so sure about. 

And then, as per usual, he'd gone out with his boys and they had put everything in perspective.

***

A chorus of boo’s rang out when Rio walked into the dive bar where his crew tended to congregate on a Thursday night. He rolled his eyes and waved them off as he ordered a beer at the bar. 

“Look who decided to show his face.” Someone called out but he didn’t turn around to find out who. Instead he threw a “fuck off” over his shoulder and placed a ten dollar bill down to pay for his drink.

Demon laughed from where he stood. “Yeah fuck off, Tommy. Rio’s busy with his new girlfriend.”

“No shit?” Tommy said, eyeing his friend from his seat. 

Rio joined the group and took a swig from his beer. Tommy had been a part of the group for years but he wouldn’t say he particularly liked the guy. “I don’t got a girlfriend.” 

His good friend Manny laughed and joined in the conversation. “Yeah no fuckin’ way that girl’s ever gonna settle for your ugly mug.”

Rio flipped his friend the middle finger and finished the last of his beer. “You look in the mirror later?” 

Tommy shook his head and waved his hand in the air. “Can we back up. Who’s the chick?”

“She’s 20 and she’s _sweet. _And hot as fuck.” Demon answered making a crude gesture towards his chest has he did so. 

A guy whose name Rio didn’t even know piped in. “Has Rio ever been with a chick that wasn’t hot?” 

Rio glared. His annoyance with his friends was reaching its limit. “How ‘bout you stop talkin’ like I ain’t here.” 

“You dating a 20 year old?” Tommy asked through narrowed eyes.

“She’s not 20. And I’m not _dating_ anyone. We’re just hangin’ out not that it’s any of your dumbass’ business.” Rio said, polishing off his drink. He slammed the bottle down onto the table harder than probably necessary.

“She’s just slummin’ it ‘til something better comes along.” Demon said and Rio knew they were just messing with each other - it’s what they did and he’d participated in plenty of conversations very similar to this one.

Difference was he’d never been on the receiving end of the bullshit. 

Difference was he’d never been so fucking conflicted about any girl he’d ever been with. 

“It’s the tattoos. Nice girls love the tattoos.” Manny said assuredly and the guys nodded in agreement. 

“Don’t see any girls linin’ up at your door, nice or otherwise.” Rio shot back eyeing the sleeves on both of his friend’s arms. 

Cisco flipped him off but laughed as he did so. 

The guys lost interest in his personal life and moved on to something else but as Rio sipped his second beer he couldn’t help but think.

What _was_ a girl like her doing with someone like him? It was only a matter of time before she got him out of her system. Most likely she’d run back to her ex-boyfriend and marry him like she probably should’ve done all along. She’d realize sooner or later that Rio was not the type of guy that a girl like her ended up with. They’d have fun and she’d move on and forget all about him.

Maybe he wasn’t pulling away from Beth so that she didn’t get too close, maybe he was pulling away so that _he _didn’t_. _

_***_

His revelation didn’t stop him from showing up at her place the next night. They didn’t have a scheduled date or anything but he’d been swinging by around this time for the last several Friday nights so - to him - that was as much of a plan as anything. 

He frowned when she didn’t answer the door after a few minutes and pulled his phone out of his pocket to text her. Her shit car was in the driveway so he assumed she was home. 

_Where are you?_ He texted. He’d give her a minute to answer and then he was out of here.

It was thirty seconds later that he saw the three dots appear notifying him that she had seen his message and was responding.

_At home. Why?_

He typed back quickly, growing impatient_: I’m outside._

He saw the dots appear and then disappear. He watched the screen and waited for her response. It was a minute later that he heard her approach.

“Hi.” She said, walking up to him. He put his phone into his pocket and tilted his chin in greeting.

“Yo.”

"I didn't know you were coming." She said and he attempted to get a read on her. She seemed guarded and her tone was cool. She met his gaze but her eyes flicked back and forth between him and the ground and so he knew that she was feeling something. Anger? Annoyance? He couldn’t tell but he hadn’t anticipated it and he wasn’t sure he was in the mood. 

"I been here every Friday night for the last month." He answered narrowing his eyes at her. He watched her think on his comment for a minute and then frown. She pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear - something he had been itching to do - and nodded her head towards the house. 

"I'm hanging out upstairs. My sister and her boyfriend are here. Come have a drink with us."

He sighed at her invitation because he should have seen it coming. She’d been pushing for this - first wanting to see his apartment and then wanting him to get to know her friends. It wasn’t exactly agreeable to their terms but that wasn’t the whole reason he didn’t want to hang out with them. He didn’t particularly care to spend his free time with a member of the Detroit Police Department. The guy seemed nice enough but Rio had a past that he was assuming this guy could find out about. It had been less than ideal to find out that Beth lived with the guy - he certainly didn’t want to share drinks with him. 

Based on the look she wore on her face she knew what his answer was going to be. He considered surprising her and just doing it. For once he’d like to make her smile for a reason that didn’t have to do with his dick but he shook his head and answered with a casual, "nah." 

He watched her bite her lip and could see moisture form in her eyes. He grimaced because he wasn’t sure he could handle seeing her cry. He didn’t have a good track record dealing with emotional girls but he thought being the cause of her tears might literally crush him. 

He could see the feelings play out over her face - could see she was warring with herself, trying to decide what to do or say next. 

"I don't know what you want from me, Elizabeth." He said with a shrug. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and waited. He didn’t shy away from meeting her eyes, wanted her to know that he was seriously asking her this question. He’d made it clear to her what this was. The fact that he’d been going back and forth in his own head about what it was that he wanted didn’t change the fact that she was pushing a guy to do something he’d made clear he wasn’t interested in doing.

She sighed and then answered, "Yes, you do." 

It _almost_ surprised him that she wasn’t letting him off the hook, wasn’t taking no for an answer this time, but he’d known this was coming and it was obvious that she was at the end of the rope here. Yeah, he knew what she wanted but she knew what he didn’t want.

Not for the first time she pissed him off. He wished she could be happy with what they had. It was nice. It was fun. Why couldn’t she just leave it be and let them enjoy themselves?

"I ain't the bad guy here. You knew what this was from the beginning. Don't know how many times we have to do this." His tone held an edge, a warning almost, but she didn’t let it stop her.

"Why can't we re-evaluate what was decided almost two months ago?"

He supposed they could have. He’d even asked himself if it was a possibility but ultimately he wasn’t willing to get closer to her, to get more serious with her, just to have her leave him when she decided he couldn’t give her what she wanted.

He averted his gaze and his jaw clenched tightly before he answered. "Cuz I don't want to."

It was a slap in the face and it wasn’t entirely true but she didn’t know that. Didn’t need to know it. He suspected that if she did she’d continue to push him.

They stood there, both silent, letting his words settle. He watched her shiver from the cool night air and on instinct he went to pull his sweatshirt off to offer her.

But he stopped before he could. 

He didn’t want to chance her denying him. 

"I don't want to just be some booty call to you." He heard her say and he cringed at the term because it wasn’t what she was to him, she had to know that she meant more to him than that - didn’t she? He talked to her more than anyone he’d been with since Camila. 

It didn’t hit him until much later that she couldn’t have known that because he’d never told her.

He could have, should have, told her then but he was so set that this be what they’d originally agreed upon that he refused to give in to her. He needed to make it clear that what she wanted and what he wanted were two very different things. Neither of them, it seemed, were willing to compromise.

He chuckled bitterly and moved to step closer to her intent on making her see his point of view. “I told you this wouldn't work for you. Told you, you‘re wife material. Should've listened to myself, huh?" 

"You also told me you don't play games." She shot back and he almost laughed as she threw his past words into his face but how did he make it more obvious that this wasn’t a game to him?

"I ain't playin' games, ma." 

"You're playing with my head. I don't get how you can stand there and pretend you don't have any feelings for me."

He shook his head back and forth and forced himself to remain calm. Of course he cared about her but telling her wouldn’t do either of them any good. He stared her straight in the eye and attempted to be as clear as possible.

“I ain't pretendin' about nothin'. I like hangin' with you, I like what we got goin' on. I really like fuckin' you. But I ain't lookin' for a girlfriend or a wife or for some bitch to tie me down."

She glared and he regretted the words as soon as they came out. "Don't call me a bitch." 

"I'm not call-" But he stopped himself mid-sentence because it wasn't even worth it. He regretted his word choice but she knew that he hadn’t been insulting her and it wasn’t worth it to try to defend himself. 

"You should go." She said.

"No shit." He answered but he didn't make a move to leave. He was hesitating even though there wasn’t much left to say. He knew he was being stubborn. Could he just give her what she wanted for now and deal with the consequences later?

Her phone buzzed in her hand and he watched her look down at the incoming text. She ignored it and placed the phone in the back pocket of her jeans.

It brought him back to the night she’d intentionally tried to make him jealous. It’d been the first time that he’d noticed their age difference. It’d been such a childish thing for her to do and it had annoyed him to no end. Partially because it actually did annoy him that she was still in touch with her ex. It had occurred to him, for the first time, that she might actually just be biding her time with him until she decided she’d had enough and was ready to get back together with her ex. 

Her plan had backfired, it had made him more angry then anything and it had only proven to push him away further. He wasn’t interested in playing little kid games and he really wasn’t interested in keeping her company until she decided she was ready to get married.

"That your ex, again?" He asked and there was a snide edge to his tone that he had one hundred percent intended. 

This was why he wouldn’t meet her friends or show her his place or take her out on dates. Why put in the effort with someone who was probably already half way out the door?

"What do you care?" She asked but he heard the hope in her voice, saw her narrow her eyes as if maybe he _was_ jealous and maybe he _did_ care.

"It's been fun, yeah?" He asked quietly before she could get any ideas. He pulled his car keys out of his pocket ready to make his exit. Maybe some space between them would realign their interests.

She nodded and he cursed in his head when he saw the tears threaten to fall from her eyes. 

He stepped forward instinctively and reached his free hand up to push a piece of her hair behind her ear. A lone tear escaped from her eye and he brushed it away with the pad of his thumb. His stomach sank watching her like this, hated to be the cause of it, but she’d understand sooner rather than later that he’d done the right thing. 

"For what it's worth I'm sorta proud of you for goin' after what you want." He said, the corner of his mouth titling up in a small smile. He was proud of her. It’d been the first thing that had drawn him to her, her ability to say what she wanted, and that hadn’t changed.

"Too bad it doesn't want me back." She whispered.

He opened his mouth to protest but then closed it because the only thing he could say to make her feel better was the one thing he couldn’t and he’d never been the type of guy to talk just for something to say.

"You'll be fine." He decided on and he swiped his finger over her lip. He thought about kissing her - came really close to doing it - but didn’t. How was it possible that an hour ago he’d been thinking about all the ways he still wanted to fuck her and now he was getting ready to leave for good?

He walked away from her and got into his car without looking back. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to drive away if he saw her standing there looking after him. 

He turned up the volume on the radio and let the music drown out his thoughts as he headed in the direction of his apartment. If this were like any of his more recent “break-ups” he’d be over it before he pulled into his parking space.

Turns out it wasn’t.


	7. Chapter 7

“I can’t get over how different you look.” Dean said, not for the first time that morning.

  
Beth lowered her head and smiled, trying hard not to roll her eyes. “I’m pretty sure I look exactly the same.”  
  
She had finally given in to Dean’s persistent requests to meet up and talk. It had been three months since his proposal and her subsequent denial and today was the first time they had seen each other since. It had been a good break to have - they’d needed the space - and Beth had been relieved to find that she was happy to see him.  
  
They had decided to catch up over breakfast at a coffeehouse in their former neighborhood and had fallen right back into old patterns. He’d placed her usual coffee order before she’d arrived and they had each gotten their own egg sandwich (his with bacon, hers with avocado) and split a cinnamon roll. It felt like a blast from the past - it felt like a Saturday they'd shared together so many times before.  
  
They’d spent the first twenty minutes catching up. It had been slightly awkward if only because they weren’t sure how to act around each other. But they’d relaxed after a few minutes of small talk. Beth had been glad to hear about his promotion at work and decision to join a local softball team. Beth had filled him in on her own business and he’d been thrilled to find out she would be selling some of her creations in local stores throughout Detroit.  
  
Things seemed to be good for both of them and Beth was happy to see that Dean was doing well. If she was being honest, she was also sort of...surprised. He had been texting her so frequently lately that she had been under the impression that he was just coasting through life in hopes of getting her back. Either he was doing a really good job of pretending or he _was_ attempting to have a life that didn’t include her.   
  
The one topic of conversation they blatantly avoided?  
  
Dating.  
  
And that was fine with Beth. She wouldn’t lie to Dean if he asked but she’d prefer the topic not come up at all.  
  
She also didn’t particularly want to hear about Dean’s love life. She didn’t think she cared if he was dating someone, didn’t think she’d be jealous, but seeing him had made her realize she had missed him in some way. He’d been such a huge part of her life for so long and she found herself wondering why it had taken her so long to agree to this meet up.  
  
It didn’t hurt that it was a nice distraction from her usual thoughts as of late.

  
It had been ten days since her break up with Rio and it had been all she’d been able to think about since. 

  
She had spent the rest of that night with Ruby and Annie by her side. She had alternated between bouts of sadness and rage. The two other girls had mostly been there to listen - neither of them had quite understood her relationship with Rio, how could they when she’d barely been able to figure it out herself?

  
Over the last ten days she attempted to move on and figure out what she wanted. She had three more months before the deadline of moving out on her own rolled around and she realized it was time to get closure with Dean. She wasn’t sure she needed it but he clearly did. Putting him off time after time was not only causing her stress but as Ruby had pointed out her avoidance was was bordering on disrespectful. He’d never done anything to her, after all, except want to marry her. 

  
So here she sat with her ex, the person that she had spent a decade with. The person who had wanted to commit to spending his life with her. The person she _should_ want to be with. At least she knew what to expect from him. 

  
“Dean, I’m really sorry.” She said suddenly just as Dean polished off his sandwich. His eyes widened at her apology. He grabbed a napkin to wipe at his mouth and shook his head.

  
“Don’t.” He started, looking her in the eye. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I get it.”

  
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in question. “You do?”

  
He chuckled and gave her a timid shrug. “Okay...No. Not really. I probably never will but you still shouldn’t apologize for doing what was right for you at the time.”

  
Her shoulders sagged and while she appreciated his reassurance part of her wanted him to be more difficult. It would make letting him go so much easier. There had to be some part of him looking to lash out at her. She almost wished he would. “I hope you know that you didn’t do anything wrong.”

  
He nodded and sat back in his chair. “I think I know that now.”

  
She gave him a small smile and fiddled with the napkin in her lap. She felt uneasy and nervous having this conversation with him. She didn’t know what else to say. Didn’t know where they went from here.

  
“Do you miss me at all?” He asked quietly and her stomach dropped at the question because she did and she didn’t but she knew that wasn’t a fair answer.   
  
“I don’t know. Honestly, I didn’t think so. I thought I was doing okay but it _is_ nice to see you.”

  
Dean sighed and sat forward so that he was leaning his chest on the edge of the table. He crossed his arms in front of him on top and met Beth’s gaze straight on so that she could see how serious he was. “I’m not gonna lie, Bethy. I feel like I’m not really sure what to do without you.”

  
She held back a cringe at his pet name for her. She had never liked it but had never had the heart to tell him. She cleared her throat and her cheeks flushed at his words as she processed them. She hadn’t been expecting this or maybe she had hoped it could be avoided. “Dean-.”

  
He held up his hand to stop her. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad but I love you and I still want to be with you. I really tried to move on but you were - _are_ \- my entire life.”

  
He finished his speech - she was pretty sure he had practiced it - and bit her lip as she tried to figure out how to proceed. She wanted to be as truthful with him as he was with her but the problem was she didn’t know _what _she was feeling. Her thoughts and emotions were all jumbled. She didn’t know what was real and what was her simply liking the feeling of comfort and safety she got when she was around him. She didn’t know what was real and what was her trying to forget about Rio.

  
“You were mine too.” She responded and then added, “Maybe that was part of the problem.”

  
“You‘re my best friend too. I miss hanging out with my best friend.”

  
“I know.” She said with a nod because that much she was sure of. She missed her friend.

  
“Do you think you’ve got any room in your life for me?” Dean asked hopefully. 

  
“I don’t want to lead you on, Dean.” She answered carefully. 

  
His posture deflated slightly but his voice stayed steady. “You don’t think there’s any hope for us?”

  
“I-“ She paused unsure of how she wanted to answer. She hesitated and then continued, taking the safe way out even though deep down she knew the right answer was no. “I don’t know.”

  
He smiled softly and reached forward to touch her but stopped mid-way across the table when she pulled her hands off the table and placed them underneath her thighs. He forced himself to ignore her clear dismissal and spoke, “I’ll take the I don’t know at this point.”

  
She wasn’t sure why she did what she did next. Maybe it was because she was feeling badly for hurting him still or maybe it was because she was feeling nostalgic. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the guy she wanted to be with didn’t want to be with her. Maybe she was trying desperately to fill a void that only one person was capable of doing. 

  
Whatever the reason, she’d regret her invitation later.

  
“I’m cooking dinner for Ruby and Stan tomorrow night. It’s kind of become our Sunday night tradition. You should come.”

  
He smiled, far too wide, and of course he accepted.

  
***

  
“I’m sorry you did what now?” Ruby asked Beth with eyes wide. They both sat on Ruby’s couch later that night drinking wine (Beth) and water (Ruby). Stan was working the night shift and Beth had taken to keeping her friend company when she was alone. Ruby was five months pregnant and feeling it more and more these days. Beth liked to help as much as she could - she liked to feel useful while she stayed - rent free - with her friends.

  
Beth took a long drink from her glass and sighed. She’d known what Ruby’s reaction would be and while she usually was grateful for the honesty and transparency they offered each other she found herself wishing her friend would hold back at the moment. 

  
“I know, I know. I’m so stupid.” Beth finally said throwing her head back on the couch. She closed her eyes and groaned. The more time that passed since her morning date with Dean the more she regretted her invitation, mostly because he’d been so _thrilled_. He’d thanked her for inviting him as they’d parted ways and she knew that even if it hadn't been her intention she’d made him believe there was hope for a reconciliation. 

  
“You have to un-invite him!” Ruby shouted at her friend readjusting herself so that her legs were extended in front of her on the chaise lounge of her sectional couch.

  
Beth shook her head and glared but Ruby just raised her eyebrows and waited for a response. “Ruby, I can’t. You should have seen his face.”

  
Ruby looked at Beth as if to say ‘no shit’ but she refrained from actually swearing at her best friend. “That’s exactly why you need to. You’re going to break that boy’s heart again.”

  
“I mean...” Beth was hesitant to say the words that were about to come out of her mouth but they had been a consideration and she needed to talk her thoughts out with someone. “Maybe we can work things out.”

  
Ruby’s eyes popped out of her head and she looked at Beth as if she’d grown ten heads. Beth almost felt bad for putting her pregnant friend through all of this drama and excitement but she needed someone to knock some sense into her. 

  
“Woman, are you out of your freaking mind? What has changed since you said no to his marriage proposal?" Ruby paused and let the question sink in but didn't give Beth the opportunity to respond. "Oh, wait, I know. You literally fell for another guy and got your heart broken.”

  
Of course she had to bring _him_ into this.

  
Beth frowned and answered indignantly. “Rio did not _break_ my heart.”

  
Ruby ignored her. “The point is you can not go backwards. Getting back with Dean will not make you feel better about Rio.”

  
“At least Dean knows what he wants and has no problem telling me.” Beth muttered. She heard the words coming out of her mouth and she believed them to be true but even _she_ was having a hard time convincing herself that any of it mattered.

  
Ruby pursed her lips and shook her head in disagreement. “Dean is safe and comfortable and you will never be satisfied in that relationship again.”

  
“He loves me.” Beth said pragmatically but she wasn’t sure why she was so desperate to have Ruby on her side. Wasn’t sure why she was so determined to convince herself that Dean was the right choice.

  
“He has _always_ loved you. He loved you three months ago when he proposed yet you turned him down. Or did you forget about that already?”

  
Beth shrugged and picked up the throw pillow next to her as a distraction. She hugged the pillow to her chest and leaned her head down into it. She mumbled the next words out of her mouth into the pillow but Ruby heard them anyway. “Maybe I made a mistake.”

  
Ruby let out a groan of frustration and turned so that she was facing Beth head on. She made sure that Beth was focused completely on what she was about to say next. “Or maybe you’re feeling lonely and thinking that Dean will fix that. And he might for a little while but the reasons you broke up with him will always be there. And-,"

  
“And what?” Beth pushed because it wasn’t like Ruby to hold back what she was thinking, especially where Dean was concerned.

  
”And he will never be Rio.”

  
Beth rolled her eyes because, duh, but wasn’t that the point? She had tried to be with Rio and that had failed miserably. “Is that a bad thing? You don't even like Rio.”

  
"I don't know him enough to like him or not like him." Ruby said with a shrug. She reached for the remote control on the coffee table in front of her and turned on the television. 

  
"Exactly. Because he wasn't interested in getting to know my friends. So why are you pushing him so hard on me?"

  
Ruby shook her head. She wasn't sure if Beth was purposefully being obtuse or if she really just did not understand the mistake she would be making by even considering getting back with Dean.

  
"I love you but you're acting insane." Ruby said simply, setting the remote aside when she settled on a romantic comedy they'd seen a hundred times.

  
Beth sighed and moved so that she could lay her head on her best friend's shoulder. She placed her hand on Ruby's stomach and tapped right above her belly button.

  
"What does Baby Hill think?" Beth asked with a smile and she laughed when she felt a small kick.

  
"Baby Hill thinks you've got to send Dean on his way for good. And then maybe you can figure out the rest of your life."

  
"Smart baby." Beth said, focusing her attention on the screen in front of them. For now, she was happy to just be with her friend and not dwell on the drama in her life.

  
***

”It was disgusting." Beth said the next night. She shook her head as she picked at the dinner in front of her. She’d made the lasagna and meatballs but had little to no appetite.

  
Beth had decided not to take back her invitation to Dean. She'd see how dinner went and then have a talk with him after the fact. She knew what she had to do but she hoped a few drinks and a good meal might help her get it done. Maybe Dean would realize that he too felt they were no longer right for each other.

  
She could dream.

  
A hard knock on the front door interrupted the group's laughter and Stan pushed his chair back, still chuckling as he made his way towards the foyer.

  
Beth smiled and picked up her glass of wine to take a sip. She might have been confused about her life and her feelings and where exactly Dean did or didn’t fit but one thing she was sure about - the four of them had always had a good time together. She missed being able to double date with her best friend. She needed this in her life and one thing was for sure - Rio had never had any interest in giving it to her.

  
“I can’t even believe you remember that.” Dean said shaking his head. They had been reminiscing about high school since sitting down to eat. Beth and Ruby had been describing a story from prom to the guys that they had never heard and the four of them had laughed so hard their stomachs hurt.

  
Out of the corner of her eye Beth saw Stan pull open the door and greet the person on the other side. She couldn’t see who it was from her angle but a quick glance in Ruby’s direction made it clear that her friend could. Ruby risked a quick look at Beth and then another quick look at the door and Beth narrowed her eyes at her in question. Dean looked back and forth between the two in confusion, also unable to see who was at the door.

  
“Hey Beth?” Stan called and she swung her head in his direction. He had moved back to let the person in and her mouth fell open at the sight of Rio standing in Ruby and Stan’s living room.

  
His eyes were pinned to the picture in front of him, a dinner table filled with food and drinks and the people that sat around it. He didn’t know Dean but he was a smart guy and based on the way his jaw clenched he knew _exactly _who was sitting next to Beth. He smirked and gazed at her with a look she’d never seen from him before. It was a cross between amusement and pure rage and Beth pushed her chair back quickly before he could do or say something inappropriate.

  
She looked to Ruby for help but her friend just raised her eyebrows and shrugged as if she knew there was literally nothing she could do to help the situation. Beth said a silent thank you that her sister wasn’t here because Annie would be moving towards the couch to enjoy the show that was bound to take place. 

  
Beth forced a smile at Stan as she entered the living room and he moved around her back towards the dining room after making sure she was okay. Beth turned to face Rio and sighed when she saw his dark eyes glued to her. They were far enough away that their conversation couldn’t be heard if they kept their voices low but they were still on display for everyone to see. She could feel Dean’s eyes burning a hole into her back and God, why did these things have to happen to her?

  
“What are you doing here?” She asked quietly, crossing her arms over her chest. She attempted to remain calm but her heart was beating out of her chest at the mere sight of him. 

  
“Sorry, am’i interruptin’?” He asked but he didn't seem sorry as he nodded his chin to the scene behind her.

  
“If you cared about that you would have called before stopping by.” She answered, annoyed. 

  
"That him?" Rio asked, his eyes roaming across her face and Beth hated that just a look from him could cause her to feel such a jumbled mess of emotions.

  
“Who?” She asked, playing dumb, even though she knew exactly what he was asking.

And he knew that she knew so he just stared at her as if she owed him an explanation.

  
“Rio, why are you here?” She asked again, avoiding his question.

  
He snapped at her question and his frustration was evident in his tone when he spoke. “I can’t even fuckin’ believe you. Less than two weeks and you’re already back with him?” His eyes fell to her left hand and settled on her ring finger. “Surprised you don’t got a ring on your finger yet.”

  
She sighed and exhaled a shaky breath. He wasn’t even trying to keep his voice low and she refused to do this in front of an audience.

She grabbed him and pushed him into the small bathroom down the hall. She should have kicked him out, was only inviting more questions, more trouble, by giving them privacy, but she refused to let him go without finding out why he had appeared in the first place.

  
She closed the door shut behind them and turned so that she was leaning against it. The bathroom was small, it only had enough room for a vanity and toilet so there was little space for two people to maneuver. He leaned against the vanity in front of her but there was only a few feet of space between them. His arms were crossed in front of him and he looked completely at ease as he waited on _her _to say something. 

  
“It’s actually none of your business." She said in response to his last comment. "So unless you want to tell me why you’re here you should probably just leave.” 

  
"Funny you tellin' me to leave after you pull me in here." He said and his mouth turned up at the corner but he didn't look the least bit amused. He shook his head when she glared at him and tapped her foot as if she didn't have the time.

  
“I fuckin’ knew it.” He mumbled under his breath but he didn't stop looking at her and if he was trying to keep her from hearing what he said, he failed.

  
She sighed, resigned, and asked the question even though she didn't think she wanted to know the answer. "Knew what, Rio?"

  
"I knew you’d go runnin' back to him."

  
She threw her hands up and answered him through gritted teeth because even though he was wrong he wasn't completely far off.

"I’m not running back to anyone. We're just having dinner."

  
Rio grinned bitterly. "I dunno, looked like a cozy double date to me."

  
She rolled her eyes and let out a short laugh. "How would you know what a double date looks like?"

  
He didn't answer, just continued to look at her as if he was trying to figure out where to go from here. He was welcome to make the next move because she had no idea what to say and he had been the one to show up unannounced, after all.

  
The silence dragged on though and all she could do was picture Ruby, Stan and Dean sitting awkwardly at the table attempting to ignore the fact that she had locked herself in the bathroom with Rio. She wondered if Dean was asking them who he was and if either of them were giving him any information. She wondered how this would all play out.

Wondered if she was pissed at Rio's sudden reappearance or thrilled.

  
"Rio, please tell me what you're doing here." Her voice held a hint of desperation and she realized she wasn't above begging him at this point.

  
"Don't matter anymore." He answered lightly. He pushed himself off of the sink he leaned against and shrugged. "Glad I came though. Glad I got to see first hand how all your talk about not wantin' to be with him and just wantin' something fun and casual was total bullshit."

  
Her eyes widened and she stood up straighter because how could he even say that? "You broke up with me because _I told you _that wasn't working for me. That I wanted a relationship!" 

  
He opened his mouth to answer but she continued, "I wanted it with you!"

  
"I didn't break up with you, sweetheart. You ended things with me 'cause I couldn't give you what you wanted."

  
"You didn't give me a choice. I was protecting myself. It was end things or get my heart broken."

  
He scrubbed his hands over his face, agitated. She couldn't help but bite her lip as his t-shirt rode up and she caught a glimpse of his stomach but the fire in her belly burned out quickly when he replied. "Yeah, well. I'm protectin' myself too. Ain't gonna get attached and then watch you walk away when something better comes along." He lifted his hand to point in the direction of the kitchen. "Or when you realize you actually wanna be with that guy out there. Looks like I did us both a favor."

  
"That's not fair." She whispered, closing her eyes for a moment to compose herself. "I never thought about him when I was with you."

  
"Didn't take long to start thinkin' about him now that you ain't with me." He always had some sort of shot to throw back at her, didn't he?

  
"We're just having dinner." She said again because they were but also, Rio was smart enough to know that it wasn't the entire truth. 

  
"Don't matter now."

  
But she wasn't done. Was maybe only just getting started. "I just wanted a little more from you and you refused to give me that."

  
"He can though?" He asked, taking a step closer to her even though there already wasn't much space between them. "He can give you what you want?" 

  
She inhaled and held her breath as he got closer. She could smell him, could almost feel the warmth coming from his body and how had she thought she'd missed Dean when this right here? This was what it felt like to miss someone. 

  
"At least I know how he feels about me." She answered quietly, clearing her throat before it could crack any further. Why couldn't the guy she wanted desperately give her what Dean was willing to?

  
He licked his lips and clenched his fists by his sides. "So that's whatchu need? Someone to tell you what you want to hear? Someone predictable like that dumb ass out there? What happened to the girl who ordered bourbon at my bar just so that she could prove me wrong about her?"

  
Her breathing was labored and she could feel her throat tighten at his words. He was right, he was always right, obviously and it almost hurt to think back on their first meeting. But she'd tried to be with him the way he'd wanted, she'd tried really fucking hard, but it wasn't who she was. She hadn't intended to fall for him but she had and she blamed him for making her feel something she'd never felt with Dean. 

  
When she didn't say anything he kept going.

"So you get back with him and you marry him and what?" He shrugged as if he could not care less one way or the other. "You forget about the fact that you were bored out of your fuckin' mind the first time around?"

  
"At least I'd be with someone who knew what he wanted." She said with a huff.

  
But he kept talking as if she hadn't said anything. "What happens when he's touchin' you? How's that gonna work now that you've been with me?”

  
"Rio." She warned because they were walking a thin rope right now and were bound to come crashing down sooner or later.

  
"No, fo'real. What happens when he's got his hands all over you." He stepped closer and she found herself having to lift her chin so that she could look up at him. "Do you picture it's me when he's tryin' to get you off?"  
  
"Stop." She said, swallowing the lump in her throat, but her command was weak and he didn't listen.  
  
"Just wonderin' how it goes is all."

She pushed herself further back into the door behind her as if that would help to put some distance between them. "I want more than just really great sex."

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, sweetheart. I know that. I’m the one that told you that from the beginning."

She chewed on her lower lip because he had, hadn't he? "Guess you were right."

He reached his hand out and grabbed her chin between his thumb and index finger. He brushed the pad of his finger across her lower lip, forcing it out from underneath her teeth. She sucked in a shaky breath and he smirked when he noticed. "He’ll never make you feel the way I do."

She tugged her head to the side and shoved his hand off of her chin. She moved to the left so that he wasn't standing right in front of her and attempted to keep her voice low even though she felt fury flowing through her veins. "How’s that Rio? Crushed? Disappointed? Like I’m not good enough to be serious with? Good. I hope no one ever makes me feel like you did.”

He advanced on her, pushing her into the wall behind her. The toilet was to their right and they were squeezed into to tight a space for two people that typically couldn't be this close to each other and _not _touch. He pushed his chest into hers and grabbed both sides of her jaw with his large hand. She attempted to pull herself out of his grip but she wasn't forceful enough and he was intent on holding her in place. "Don’t fucking do that. Don’t act like we didn’t have something good." 

"It could have been something great." She shot back quickly and he loosened his hold on her face but didn't let go completely. Her eyelids fluttered closed, suddenly exhausted, and when she opened them she found his dark eyes burning holes into her. "I don’t get it, Rio. Tell me why you came here tonight." 

She watched his adam's apple bob as he swallowed and she held her breath waiting for his answer. He licked his lips, and she could see him formulating an answer to her question. His hand moved around to cup her neck underneath her hair and she felt his fingers heat her skin. "Was in the area, figured I'd come get the sweatshirt I left here a couple weeks a go."

She released the breath she'd been holding and smiled slightly. "I don’t believe you. Try again." 

"Wanted to see if you'd let me fuck you one last time." His eyes were bright and she knew he was joking but her breathing hitched because, God, how could she be so angry at him but still want him this badly? The heat between her legs could not be avoided and she knew he could tell when she squeezed her thighs together tightly. 

"You’re lying." She said, but she reached out to grab hold of the belt buckle on his dark jeans and pulled him closer because she was sick of being so close to him and not touching him.

"Nah." He answered, dragging out the end of the word. His eyes were glued to her lips and she was sure if she gave him the chance he'd kiss the hell out of her and as tempting as it was, it would get them nowhere.

So she tried a different tactic because maybe being so close to her, maybe being so distracted by her, would allow him to be more truthful than he had ever been. "What happened with you and Marcus’ mom? Did she break your heart? Ruin you for all other relationships? Make you think you didn’t deserve to be happy?"

Her plan didn't work though and at the mention of Marcus and his ex his eyes flicked up to hers and the lust that had just been there was replaced with disgust. "Don’t talk about shit you know nothin' about.”

"Because you won’t tell me!" He tightened his grip on her neck before letting go abruptly to move away from her. She felt the loss of him immediately and it took everything in her not to pull him back.

"That ain’t what this is. Was. Whatever." He said for the millionth time and here they were again, back to where they started, nothing solved. 

"It’s not what it started as but I still don’t understand why that can’t change. I know you have feelings for me. I know it." She emphasized the last three words because she wasn't sure of much but she knew that there was no way she could feel this strongly for him if he didn't reciprocate her feelings at least a little bit. 

He looked in the direction of the door as if he was planning his exit but when he answered, his stubborn reply didn't surprise her. "Again, you don’t know shit."

"You hated seeing Dean here." She insisted and this time she was the one to take a step forward towards him. He watched her do so but didn't move to get away from her.

At the mention of Dean the vein in his neck popped. "You’re right. I want to punch that asshole in the fuckin' face."

"Why would you want to do that if you don’t care about me?" She asked and she knew one thing didn't necessarily have anything to do with the other but she also knew that being jealous had to mean something.

He made fists at his side and she noticed and it shouldn't have but it kind of turned her on. "Because I don’t want him touching you."

Her shoulders dropped at his words and she sighed because it was futile to try to get him to admit anything meaningful at this point. She closed the space between them but her hands held still at her side. "I don’t want him touching me either."

He blinked at her response but it wasn't like he didn't know that already. This entire conversation had been all for nothing because they talked and talked but never really said anything. 

"You’re supposed to be the older, wiser one here, Rio, but you’re the only one that doesn’t know what the hell he wants.”

He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off before he could. "I'm not getting back with Dean. I was lonely and he had been insisting on getting together and he's my friend but...I'm not getting back together with him."

She was on a roll now and he seemed to be listening so she kept talking. "I also don't owe you an explanation even if I was thinking about getting back together with him. You don't want to be with me the way I want to be with you and you won't tell me why you're here so I'm not sure what else is left to say."

"I ain't the guy for you." He said but he couldn't meet her eyes.

"You're not even willing to try so how do you know that?" She asked, pleaded more like it, because he was so maddening she could barely stand it.

"'Cause I know what you deserve and I can't give it to you." He said as if it were that easy. And to him, it was. He hadn't been able to make a relationship work with the mother of his child - there was no way he could make one work with her and he refused to feel the guilt of letting someone else he cared about down again.

Problem was he had already failed at that.

"I've never wanted to hug someone and hit them at the same time." Beth whispered. She could feel tears puddle in her eyes. This conversation felt so much more like an ending than the last one. As if there was literally nowhere left for them to go except in their separate directions and the thought of it really and truly being over killed her. 

She heard a small tap on the bathroom door and her head swirled in its direction. She'd almost forgotten that they were having this conversation in a small bathroom with her friends and ex-boyfriend just behind the thin wall.

"Yeah?" She called out and she prayed it wasn't Dean.

"Everything okay in there?" Came Ruby's voice and Beth sighed in relief. She glanced at Rio as if he might actually answer her friend but he was just peering over at her and it surprised her that he seemed to look as defeated as she felt. 

"Yeah." She answered, breaking their stare. "Sorry. I'll be right out."

She wiped a hand to her face, drying the tears that had managed to escape. She watched him run a hand through his cropped hair and not for the first time wished she could kiss him.

"Bet you wish you never came into my bar that night." He said attempting to lighten the mood. She wished it were that easy though.

She shook her head because there was no way she would ever regret meeting him. She lowered her voice on the off chance that Dean might be able to hear her. "I learned more about myself in two months with you than I did over ten years with Dean."

He didn’t answer just hit her with a smug smile because of course he assumed she meant what he'd taught her sexually - and that was a big part of it - but mostly she meant he'd taught her how to be more confident, more relaxed. He'd taught her how to go after what she wanted even if it didn't always work out. He taught her that she should never settle for _less _than what she wanted.

She rolled her eyes but didn't give him the satisfaction of blushing. She moved towards the door and reached out to grab the knob when she felt his hand grab hold her her waist. She sucked in a breath as she felt his fingers brush the space between her jeans and shirt and cursed her body when goosebumps broke out across her skin. 

His thumb brushed over the raised bumps and his voice was rough and gravelly when he spoke. "You know you're fuckin' amazing, right?"

And she did, sort of, but it didn't seem to be enough to keep him around.

"You're not going to punch Dean when we go out there, are you?" She asked, purposefully avoiding his comment because there was no use asking him why, if she was so amazing, he was so determined to let her go.

"No." He said and she imagined he was shaking his head behind her. He dropped his hand from her hip but she didn't turn. "Just promise me you won't settle for some dumb ass that can't give you a proper orgasm. You deserve so much fuckin' more than average."

She sighed and screamed on the inside because with him she wouldn't be settling. Would be getting exactly what she wanted, exactly what she deserved.

She wrapped her hand around the doorknob but didn't promise him anything before she pulled the door open. 

He hadn't earned her promises.

The first thing she noticed after exiting the bathroom was that her three friends were no longer at the dining room table where she'd left them. She could hear them in the kitchen, talking quietly and cleaning up dishes from a dinner she had barely touched.

She felt Rio move around her and head towards the front door. Her feet moved of their own accord to follow him but she stood back when he opened the door to leave.

"Rio." She called before he could walk out of her life completely. He stopped and turned his head to look at her. His eyes trailed the length of her, down to her feet and back up again, as if it might be the last time he got to really look at her.

She felt herself flush at his scan but refused to melt under his gaze. When he finally met her eyes she lifted her chin and attempted to sound more in control than she felt - attempted to be the boss bitch he'd said she could be weeks ago.

"If you leave that's it. I can't do this again." Her voice was shaky but she was somehow able to look him in the eye when she said it. He nodded once, slowly, enough to let her know he'd heard. 

"Be good, yeah?" He said and then he was gone and she felt sick. He slammed the door loud enough that she knew her friends must have heard. She gave herself a second to pull herself together, there would be plenty of time to dissect their conversation later, before she turned to face the masses.

She entered the kitchen and met Ruby's eyes first. Her friend lifted her eyebrows in question and Beth mouthed 'later' so that she knew they'd have lots to discuss after she dealt with Dean. She gave a small smile in Stan's direction and then forced herself to look at her ex. He sat in a stool at the kitchen island, his elbows propped up in front of him, his chin resting in his palms. She could see several emotions across his face: confusion, disappointment, dejection, and she hated that she was the cause of all of them.

Ruby and Stan made a quiet exit but she heard them walk out of the room behind her to give them privacy. She appreciated it but also found herself wishing they would stay - if only to make herself feel better.

"Hey." She said slowly. Dean pushed off of the stool and stood up but didn't move closer to her. 

"I've got a lot of questions but none I think I want the answers to." He said and it was the first time that he sounded angry at her and, _finally_, she thought. 

"It's complicated." She found herself saying because it was but it wasn't really an appropriate response.

"I'm finding it hard to believe that you've had the time over the last three months to develop any sort of relationship that could be complicated."

And it _was_ sort of hard to believe - she didn't blame him for thinking that - but it didn't change the fact that it was true. She lifted her hand to her mouth and bit aimlessly at the nail of her ring finger. 

"I shouldn't have invited you over for dinner. That was stupid of me and it led you on and I'm sorry."

"How do you just find yourself another boyfriend that quickly, Beth? I mean, Jesus, was it really that easy to forget me?”

She shook her head and quickly defended his words. "He's not my boyfriend. He's not my anything but it doesn't matter. He doesn't have anything to do with us -"

Dean slammed his hand down on the counter and the noise was so sudden, so unexpected that she flinched. "The hell he doesn't! We were together for ten years, Beth. You barely know this guy but he waltzes in here and you just forget the progress we made this weekend?"

Beth shook her head and attempted to stay on track because the progress Dean had thought they’d made did not exist in Beth’s mind. "I said no to your proposal for a reason, Dean, and those reasons haven't changed."

"So that's it. You just throw away years of being together for a guy with a neck tattoo that you've known for five minutes?"

"Dean, I said no to you before I met him." Not long before she'd met him but he didn't need to know the gory details. "I _hate _that I'm doing this but I just -"

"What, Beth? Just say it." His tone was clipped but it didn't stop her from laying it all out there.

"I don't want to be with you." She said with finality. "It's why I said no when you proposed. It's why this isn't going to work. I was stupid to let you believe anything had changed. I'm sorry."

He was gutted, she could tell, and she got the impression that this was the first time he actually realized that things were over for good. It killed her to hurt him but if she'd learned anything it was that she had to be straightforward with Dean - it was the only way to get through to him without giving him a false glimmer of hope.

He moved around the island to come closer to her. She thought he might walk right past her and out the door but he stopped in front of her. 

"I would've given you everything." He said quietly. 

"I know." She whispered. And she did. She knew that he would've spent his life trying to make her happy but she couldn't put that on him, didn't want to.

"Will he?" He asked and she could tell it pained him to do so.

She shook her head and wiped at a stray tear falling from her eye. "He's nothing." 

Lies.

He sighed and reached his hand out to rest on her shoulder. He really was _too _good. She watched him open his mouth to say something but no words ever came. He gave in to his desire to try to convince her to change her mind and with one last squeeze to her arm he walked past her and out of her life.

And then she cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry (not sorry) about the angst!


	8. Chapter 8

Beth was fine. A week turned into two and she was a normal, functioning twenty something. She threw herself into work happy to have several online orders and one or two contracts set up with local stores to keep her busy. She was always trying to stay distracted and in her spare time she continued her yoga classes, helped Ruby prepare for the baby and made sure that Annie stayed out of trouble. 

It was good to be on her own. She didn't even look at guys - wasn't interested in dating. And really she didn't think about Rio at all. Except when something reminded her of him which was always.

Never mind the fact that Ruby was forcing her to interact with her and Stan at night when all she wanted to do was go to bed early. It didn't count that Annie had to practically drag her out of her room on the weekends when she was perfectly content to binge Netflix.

She was _fine._

***

Rio was cool. He'd always been better on his own - doing his own thing. He'd never been very good at doing what was expected and he'd always hated having to report back to a significant other about what he was doing or where he was going or when he'd be around. 

He was busy. Being a business man, owning his own restaurants, was time consuming. Being a father to a four year old was exhausting. He didn't have time for a girlfriend or a rebound or a fuck buddy or anything of the female variety. 

He didn't like plans. He didn't like to be on a schedule. If it didn't have to do with Marcus or his ability to be a good parent than he really preferred to just go with the flow. He was a successful man after all and so whatever he'd been doing for the last however many years was obviously working for him.

He hardly ever found himself thinking about Beth. Didn't find himself going to text her that he was coming over after a long day at work. Didn't find himself mentally planning out the days he'd get to see her when he didn't have Marcus.

He definitely didn't think about her when he was alone at night in his bed - by himself. Or in the shower or in his office.

He found himself hitting the boxing ring more often than he had been in the months prior. It was a good release of energy.

He was _cool._

***

"Thanks for dropping him off." Camila said. She and Rio stood in the foyer of the small two-bedroom home she rented. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and watched Marcus take off up the stairs towards his bedroom.

"It's cool. You have a good trip?"

Camila nodded but she looked worn out. She was an admissions recruiter for the University of Michigan and certain times of the year required more travel. She was currently in the midst of her busiest time and Rio was happy to take Marcus when she was on the road. He knew, though, that the travel and time without her son took a toll. 

"It was fine. Happy to be home for a while now."

"Well, he'll hopefully crash early." Rio said encouragingly. 

Camila's eyes brightened at the thought. "Adam's bringing pizza over so it'll be a quiet night."

"How's that going?" Rio inquired curiously.

It made Rio happy to see the smile that lit up her face at the question. "Really good. I want you to get to know him better."

Rio wiggled his eyebrows suggestively but he wasn't too surprised. "Yeah? Sounds serious."

She shrugged and Rio could tell she was attempting to act more casual than she felt. "It might be.

"He'll be at the game tomorrow?" Rio asked, referring to Marcus' soccer games that occurred every Saturday. 

She nodded her head in affirmation. 

"I'll grill him then."

Camila rolled her eyes and let out a short laugh. "You know you can be intimidating. Don't scare him off."

Rio smirked mischievously and she just rolled her eyes when he did nothing to appease her except mutter a teasing, "Don't worry."

"What about you?" Camila threw back at him because she was always attempting to find out more about this life. 

"What about me?" And Rio was _always _shutting her down.

Camila shrugged. If she played it off as no big deal, maybe Rio wouldn't make it a big deal. "Marcus may have mentioned a girlfriend."

Rio's shoulders tensed at the mention of Beth even if her name hadn't been brought up and he knew that Camila noticed. He had hoped to avoid this conversation - hoped that Marcus had forgotten about the woman he'd spent a small amount of time with - but no luck.

He shook his head and attempted not to lose his cool. "She ain't a girlfriend. She's nothin’ anymore."

Camila tilted her head at Rio trying to get a read on him. If anyone could, it was her. She either didn’t notice his hesitance to talk or didn't care because she continued. "Marcus seemed to like her. I was surprised. He'd never mentioned meeting anyone before."

"That's 'cause he hasn't." Rio's eyes darted to every part of the house that he could see but he never met Camila's gaze. He wasn't interested in having a heart to heart but she raised her eyebrows because, wasn't _that _telling?

Rio shot her a look. He knew what she was thinking but he refused to give in. "I didn't want him to meet her. Couldn't be avoided."

He should have known she wouldn't leave it at that. "Well who is she?"

"She's no one." Rio deadpanned. He rocked his jaw back and forth, annoyed.

Camila hummed, deep in thought. Not many people would continue a conversation with the Rio that stood in front of her. He was clearly closed off but Camila was not many people and she knew him almost better than anyone did. "You seem awful tense about no one."

"I ain't tense, you're just annoyin’ me."

She smiled and held back a laugh. At this point in their relationship, she didn't take one bit of offense to Rio's surly attitude. It only encouraged her, to be honest, and it definitely did little to make her believe Beth meant nothing to him.

"Marcus said she was really pretty."

"Marcus is four."

"So she's not pretty?" 

"I dunno, Mil, cause I don't know who we talkin' about 'cause I don't got a girlfriend."

She rolled her eyes but didn't let it go because this was too fun. She knew when Rio was mad, when he had been pushed too far, and this wasn't it. Yet.

"I think he said her name was Beth but you called her Elizabeth."

"Jesus Christ." Rio mumbled. He turned his body away from his ex and towards the stairs that Marcus had disappeared up minutes before. "Marcus, get your butt down here and say goodbye."

Camila crossed her arms over her chest and gave Rio a look that clearly said he was a coward for avoiding the conversation. He pretended not to notice.

Marcus' footsteps pounded on the ceiling above them and both of his parents watched as he rushed down the steps. He ran forward and jumped into Rio's arms.

"Bye, daddy." He said, tightening his arms around his father's neck in a hug.

Rio returned the hug and kissed him on the top of his dark hair. "See you tomorrow at the game, yeah?”

"Two goals?" Marcus asked, dropping from his father's arms to stand in front of him. It was a tradition of theirs to try and guess the amount of goals Marcus would score at any given game. Considering he was four they weren’t typically correct but it was fun none the less.

The corner of Rio's mouth turned up in a small smile and he knelt down so that he was eye level with his son. "How 'bout three?"

Marcus' smile widened and he nodded. "I'll try."

"That's all you gotta do." Rio said ruffling his hair before he stood. Marcus turned to his mother and looked up at her.

"I'm hungry." He said with a pout and wide eyes.

"Adam's bringing pizza." She answered. "He should be here soon. Go wash your hands."

He listened, or appeared to, and rushed back up the stairs he had just descended. He called a final goodbye to his father before disappearing out of their view.

"See you in the morning.” Rio said, throwing a quick glance in Camila's direction. He headed towards the door but his hand paused on the knob when she called his name. He exhaled, he'd known she wouldn't let him go that easily, and turned.

"You know you deserve to be happy right?”

"Yeah, thanks." He said quickly, forcing a smile before turning back towards the door.

"You haven't been with anyone since we broke up."

"Pretty sure I have." He said lewdly, his patented smirk pasted on his face. 

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You _know_ what I mean."

He sighed and gripped his car keys tightly in his hand. He had been so close to escaping. "Not sure what you want me to say here, darlin'."

She shrugged and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She and Rio were in a good spot but conversations like this one were still somewhat shaky territory for them both. She knew that Rio was happy for her and her new relationship but she still found it hard sometimes to wrap her head around the fact that she and Rio would never be together again. That they would raise their child separately. She knew, however, that she wanted him to be happy. That he _deserved _to be happy.

More than anything, she wanted to make sure that his reluctance to be in a relationship didn't come from some misplaced guilt about not wanting to be with her.

"I just want to make it clear that I'm okay with you being with someone else. I just want to make sure you aren't-" She paused to gather her thoughts, to make sure that what she was thinking in her head was translating properly into words. She knew she had to tread lightly where Rio and relationships were concerned. "Avoiding getting close to someone because you don't want to hurt my feelings."

"Why you think it's got anything to do with you?" His tone was light - he wasn't being rude, at least he wasn't trying to be rude, but he was genuinely curious. They had never really had this conversation before and he certainly hadn't expected to have it now.

"Because I _know _you. And I know how much blame you put on yourself for us not working out and it just _seems _like maybe you're punishing yourself by -"

Rio would never know exactly what she was going to say because at that moment the front door was thrown open right into his back. He lurched forward and turned to glare at whatever, whoever, had rammed it into him.

His eyes met those of Camila's boyfriend, Adam, a large pizza box balancing in his hand. He'd met him once before, briefly, and while he seemed like a nice guy Rio's current mood didn't allow for much friendly conversation.

"Shit, sorry, man." The offender apologized, concern etched across his face.

"All good." Rio said and it _was _all good but his response was gruff and he was ready to get the hell out of there. To be honest, he was grateful for Adam's appearance. He took the interruption as an opportunity to shut down his conversation with Camila.

He looked over at his ex and forced a smile. She'd gotten cut off but he had a pretty good idea at what she was going to say and while it annoyed him that she'd pushed he appreciated the sentiment no less.

"Thanks for the talk." He said as genuinely as he could muster but the look he gave her let her know that he _was _grateful.

He walked out of the house after a goodbye and promise to see the two tomorrow at Marcus' game. He replayed the conversation with Camila and pondered what she had said. He wasn't a particularly thoughtful guy. He did what felt right most of the times - he did what he wanted _all _of the time - but did his need to destroy any possibility of a real relationship with Beth (or anyone for that matter) come from guilt? Come from a fear of hurting Camila? Come from a subconscious need to punish himself for not wanting to be with the mother of his child? 

He had never thought about it before because he'd never needed to. Beth had been the first person he'd felt this strongly about since Camila but maybe it was something to consider.

_Maybe_, he thought, _he had royally fucked up_.

***

“There's some guy out at the bar looking for you." Demon said to Rio. Rio looked up from his computer at his friend’s head peeking through his partially opened office door. He had been going through inventory and the accounting for the restaurant and hadn't even heard him approach. 

"Who?" Rio said through narrowed eyes. He wasn't expecting anyone, didn't have any meetings lined up, and he wasn't a fan of drop-ins.

Demon just shrugged though and pushed the door open a little bit more so that he could walk into the room. "Don't know. Some nerdy looking dude. Said he wants to see the guy who owns the place."

Rio sighed but didn't make a move to get up from his chair. He was exhausted. He had come straight here after Marcus' game this morning and hadn't had a break since. It was closing in on the dinner rush and he was hoping to get out of here before that. "Why the fuck you tellin’ me? Just ask him what he wants."

Demon didn't take offense to Rio's attitude - was used to it by now - and answered, "Says he ain't leaving until he talks to you. Seems kinda desperate."

Rio groaned but pushed his chair back to stand. He moved past Demon and made his way out of his office into the restaurant. A sinister grin appeared across his face when he saw who, exactly, had summoned him.

It was early evening so the place was relatively empty which gave Rio the perfect opportunity to let this guy say what he came to say and then kick his ass if necessary.

"Can I help you?" Rio asked as he approached Beth's ex, or current, boyfriend - he wasn't entirely clear but he sure as hell didn't want to know if it was the latter.

"You know who I am." Dean said matter-of-factually but it didn't answer Rio's question.

Rio crossed his arms over his chest, he wasn't a huge guy - stood about the same height as Dean - but he was intimidating. Maybe it was the look on his face, maybe it was the tattoos. He wasn't sure, but he did think he saw Dean take a small step backwards.

"I do. Whatchu want?" Rio said calmly, his voice even but menacing. 

"Stay away from Beth." Dean warned and it was so abrupt, so unexpected, that Rio laughed in the other man's face without even really meaning to. He looked to the ground and shook his head in amusement before looking back up to meet Dean's wild gaze.

"You don't got a fuckin' clue what you're talkin' about."

"I know that Beth and I were close to getting back together before you showed up the other night." Dean said. Rio could tell he was attempting to sound more confident than he felt but his voice was shaky and he didn't come off nearly as threatening as Rio imagined he wanted to.

_Interesting_, Rio thought. He guessed that meant Dean was still Beth's _ex_-boyfriend.

He shrugged. "I got nothing to do with that."

But Dean wasn't backing down. He went to take a step forward, went to lift his finger to point it into Rio's face but Rio saw him think better of it and he lowered his arm before he could do something he’d regret. 

“Beth and I have been together our whole lives. You're just some experiment because she thinks she needs to be with other people before she can marry me. A girl like her would never be with a guy like you."

Rio gritted his teeth. Dean's words cut deep - they'd been Rio's own insecurities, after all - and having them thrown back in his face by this guy was enough to make him want to do damage.

"What kinda guy am I, exactly, hm?"

Dean’s mouth opened at the question and then quickly shut. He hadn’t anticipated it and he stuttered out an answer, “Not a good one.”

Rio laughed because - really? Like he hadn't heard that one a million times. 

"You gonna have to take this up with, Elizabeth."

"I'm taking it up with you. Stay away from her." Dean urged but the words were weak and meaningless to Rio's ears.

He smirked and his eyes brightened at the clear warning. "Or what? Whatchu gonna do?"

Dean glared and it was enough answer for Rio. This guy was all talk, no action, and if there was anyone Beth wasn't going to be with between the two of them it was probably him. Rio couldn't even understand what she'd ever seen in him to begin with. How she had ever been even remotely satisfied.

"I've got an uncle on the board of health," Dean started, a last minute attempt to frighten the man in front of him. "let's just say he could come down here and shut things down real quick."

Rio barked out a laugh, a big, loud laugh, right in Dean's face. The thinly veiled threat entertained him but also pissed him off. When he got the laugh out of his system, he put on his best 'don't fuck with me' face - it didn't take much, he'd never wanted to kill someone as much as this guy - and stepped closer. 

"You should do that. See what happens."

Dean swallowed and it was clear he did not intend to do _anything. _Rio gave a fake smile and clapped Dean on the shoulder with his hand. It was harder than necessary; enough to make the slightly taller man flinch, and Rio squeezed his fingers deep into his flesh to prove his point. Dean’s face flushed and Rio pulled his hand back with a smirk.

He moved to walk away but stopped after a few feet. He didn't turn, just looked over his shoulder at where Dean still stood, motionless. _"_You should know though. I know people too. Lots of ‘em. Probably scarier people than your board of health uncle."

He paused to let it sink in and then finished, 

"Not get the fuck outta my restaurant." 

***

Beth looked around at her surroundings. Annie and Ruby had dragged her out of the house for their weekly girl's night. To be honest, it had taken little convincing on their part. She was anxious to start moving on with her life and going out with her friends was the best way to do so even if one was six months pregnant and the other her college aged sister who was in an on again/off again relationship.

The Mexican restaurant they had chosen downtown was trendy and upscale. The menu boosted an assortment of tacos and rice bowls and mouth-watering sides like street corn, grilled pineapple with lime and Asian slaw. Both Beth and Annie were on their second margarita and the bartender had even whipped up a fancy looking mocktail for Ruby.

It was turning out to be a good night - just what Beth needed - and she was sure nothing could ruin her mood.

"My mouth is watering." Annie said as the waiter placed several different plates down in front of the girls. They had opted to share a few different things from the menu and Beth could not help but nod in agreement at the site in front of her.

They each thanked their server before she walked off and then proceeded to dig into the food as if they hadn't eaten in days.

The moans and groans that came from each of them as they took their first bites had them giggling. There was little conversation as they enjoyed what they were eating and it wasn't until a pretty, brunette approached the table that they took a break from shoveling copious amounts of food into their mouths. 

"Hi girls. How's everything?" The woman asked. Beth assumed she was the owner or manager. She wore a bright smile on her face, her lips covered in bright red lipstick. She was one of the most beautiful woman Beth had ever seen. Her skin was tanned and soft and her eyes were a dark, chocolate brown. Her long hair was thick and cascaded down her back. Beth took an instant liking to her but couldn't shake the feeling that she knew her somehow. 

"So good." Annie said with a moan. She bounced in her seat as she took a long sip of her margarita, draining the glass of its contents.

"Need a refill?" The woman asked with a smile.

Annie grinned as Beth simultaneously glared at her sister. The drinks were _strong _and Annie had driven. Her clear displeasure did nothing to discourage her sister though.

"That would be great!" Annie answered, ignoring Beth. "Do you own this place?"

She nodded and stepped closer to the table to converse with the girls. "I do. With my husband."

"It's incredible." Ruby said through a mouthful of rice.

"Glad to hear it. I'll let your waiter know about the drink. Can I get you guys anything else?"

They shook their heads and voiced their gratitude as she walked off. 

"I've got to take Stan here." Ruby said.

"You should come for your anniversary." Annie suggested.

"She looks so familiar." Beth contemplated, ignoring the conversation around her as she looked in the direction of the woman who had just left their table. She was standing at the bar speaking to a waiter but Beth couldn't stop staring.

"Who?" Annie asked, following her sister's gaze.

"The owner." 

Ruby swung her head in the same direction as her friends and the three of them took a closer look. They were quiet for a minute as they each considered whether they knew her but they all came up empty.

Beth turned away with a sigh and picked up her taco. "Oh well."

She took a large bite and her eyes rolled back into her head at how good it was. She loved to cook and was already planning a way to replicate the meal. She was in her own little world, her thoughts a mile away from where she sat, when Annie's drink was delivered to the table. She felt the presence of a body next to her as she picked up her napkin to wipe at her mouth. 

Neither Annie nor Ruby acknowledged the waiter who set the drink down and it was only after a few seconds of silence that she felt the tension surrounding her. She looked up to find her table mates frozen in their seats. She followed their line of sight and her stomach dropped at what she found.

Rio standing next to her with a smirk.

Beth's lips parted but she didn't, _couldn't_, speak. Why was he always popping up when she least expected it? Why couldn't she be the one to take him completely by surprise? Why couldn't he stay away?

She quickly pulled her eyes from his and skimmed her way down his body. He wore a maroon t-shirt (one she knew was more expensive than it looked) and dark jeans. Typical Rio attire. It was a minute before she found the courage to move back up to his face. 

She glanced behind him, over towards where the owner of the restaurant had stood at the bar, and it hit her.

The woman she had just met was Rio's sister.

_My sister and her husband own an upscale taqueria downtown. I'm a silent partner._

It all came back. She remembered him tell her not long after they had met. She had been pestering him with questions and he'd reluctantly answered some of them and - _oh my God_ \- he was going to think she was stalking him.

"I did _not _know this was your place." Beth blurted out. He was so close to her, he stood in the open spot of the high top table between her and Ruby's stools, Annie across from him. He would only have to take a few steps to be pressed up against her.

She chanced a quick glance over at her sister and friend but they were still gaping, eyes moving back and forth between her and Rio and she hated that it always seemed like their most intimate conversations were on display.

"Didn't think you did." He answered easily but it calmed her beating heart slightly. 

She glanced back behind him and noticed his sister watching their interaction.

"That's your sister." She said knowingly, but he didn't turn to acknowledge who she was looking at, just nodded.

"Gabriela."

Beth swallowed. Her throat was dry. Her stomach hurt. She suddenly wanted to push the food in front of her away and run as far from here as possible. She had been doing so well, and now, well - what did they say? One step forward, two steps back?

"How's the food?" He said with a grin and she didn't understand how he could be so casual about this. How he could stand there and talk to her as if she were a long, lost friend he was happy to see. Was he faking or just over it?

She didn't answer, just looked at the aforementioned food. She couldn't form words or thoughts or even comprehend what the hell was going on.

"It's fucking awesome." Annie answered. Leave it to Annie to help her sister out when she needed it, desperately. 

Rio glanced at the blonde but didn't react. Beth knew he was waiting on her to chime in but she was finding it impossible.

"Glad I ran into you." He said when he realized she wasn't going to respond to him. His new tactic of getting her to converse worked and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You are?" She asked, confused. Their last interaction had left little to be desired and she couldn't fathom how running into her was something he was happy about.

"Mhmm." He said, licking his lips and she had to stop herself from following the movement of his mouth.

He noticed though, smirked at her reaction to him, and she flushed red from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.

"Your boyfriend paid me a visit the other day."

That got her attention - the attention of Annie and Ruby as well if their facial expressions were any indication. Beth scrunched her nose up in confusion and asked, "Dean?"

"That his name?" Rio asked with a shrug. He looked bored as his gaze moved around the busy restaurant. She waited for him to look back to her before she continued.

"Dean came to see you?" She elaborated on her previous question.

"Yep." 

Beth raised her eyebrows in question but he didn't provide any further detail. The tension in her shoulders deflated and she sighed before nudging him on. "What did Dean have to say to you?"

He turned his body so that he was facing her head on. He leaned against the table and she watched as his hand landed only inches from where hers rested.

"Wanted to let me know he had an uncle on the Board of Health that could shut _Flip_ down real quick if I didn't leave you alone."

Annie snorted, spitting out remnants of food, and Ruby's hand shot out to cover her own mouth before she could make a similar sound. Beth shot a glare at the two but noticed that Rio seemed amused by their outbursts.

"I had nothing to do with that." Beth said quickly, before adding, "And he's not my boyfriend."

“Figured as much.” He said with a nod and she breathed a sigh of relief. She tried to conjure up an image of Dean attempting to threaten Rio but it was close to impossible. She could not picture a scenario where Rio didn’t dominate Dean in every way and she realized she was better off not knowing exactly what had gone down between the two.

She glanced back to where his sister had stood but she was gone. Beth wondered if she had any idea who she was. She had to assume not but with Rio you never could tell. 

"Who's older? You or your sister?"

Beth was surprised when he answered easily but she tried not to let it show. She wasn't even entirely certain how she was holding this conversation so casually. Later, she'd have to replay it over and over again in her mind - that was, if she could remember anything besides the pounding in her chest and the throb between her legs at the mere sight of him. 

"Gabby. Year and a half."

"You guys look alike." She pointed out. 

"So I've been told."

"She seems nice." Beth observed even though she had hardly interacted with the woman. Her smile had been friendly though, her eyes warm.

"She is." He agreed with a nod but nothing more.

"Nicer than you." Beth teased.

"That ain't hard to achieve." He bantered back lightly. How quickly they feel right back into it. Beth tried but failed to bite back a smile - she had missed him but it was only now that she realized just how much. Did he feel the same? Had he even thought about her over the last few weeks or was she just a notch on his bedpost that he might look back on occasionally in fondness?

She lowered her eyes to her lap, suddenly shy. 

"I was nice to you sometimes, ya?" He asked with a smirk. It was clear what he was suggesting. He reached to tip her chin up with his hand so that she was forced to look back up at him. Her skin burned where he made contact and she couldn't help but shiver at his touch.

Annie snorted, yet again, and Beth flushed, yet again but she didn't reward him with an answer confirming one way or the other.

"I'll let you get back to your dinner." He said after a minute. He stared at her, waiting for her to say something, anything.

She opened her mouth to respond but then closed it because what could she say? She didn't want him to leave. Was desperate for him to stay and never leave again but that wasn't an option. He'd made it clear and while seeing him again after so many weeks had breathed new life into her, it didn't change _anything. _

“It was good to see you.” She said quietly. The crack in her voice gave away exactly how she was feeling.

He reached out to give her shoulder a squeeze before he walked away from her, again. She watched him retreat to the bar. He approached his sister who had reappeared and Beth couldn’t help but stare as he pointedly ignored whatever Gabriela was saying to him. He walked past her but she followed in his trail and they disappeared into the back of the restaurant, out of her sight.

She looked over to Annie and Ruby and rolled her eyes when she saw them watching her. It was clear they didn’t know what to do - didn’t know if Beth was close to tears or in need of a hug. Beth wasn’t sure she knew herself. She dropped her head into her hands and groaned because when had her life become this soap opera, drama-filled existence?

It was Ruby that broke the silence first. "I'd say we need tacos and margaritas to take your mind off this but..." 

Three pairs of eyes dropped down as Ruby’s sentence trailed off and she motioned to the food and drinks in front of each of them. They laughed because really, what else could they do?

"Who wants a tequila shot?" Annie asked, lifting her arm to signal the attention of their waiter.

***

Rio stood against the wall in the hallway that housed the restaurant's bathrooms. He had watched Beth's sister go in minutes earlier and was waiting for her to make her exit. He wasn't sure why he'd taken the opportunity to follow her - to get her alone, away from Beth - but he was here now and he better come up with something quick. 

There wasn't much that surprised him but seeing Beth at his sister's restaurant had done the trick. He had only just arrived - had been in the area and was popping by to say hello to Gabby and her husband - when he'd noticed the threesome at the table near the bar as his sister walked away from them.

He had made a beeline for Gabriela as she walked away from them only to find out that she had been checking on tables to make sure they were content with the food and service. She hadn't known who Beth was but he raised suspicions when he stopped the waiter heading in their direction and offered to deliver the drink himself. He had felt Gabriela's gaze on the back of his neck as he'd made his way over but had pointedly ignored it.

She had cornered him after he'd left the table but he'd been tight-lipped. His older sister was one of his best friends but she also had the biggest mouth in all of Michigan. He wasn't about to fill her in on his relationship - or lack thereof - with Beth. If he did, the information would find its way straight back to his mother and he wasn't interested in getting her hopes up. She'd been livid when he'd ended things with Camila. The idea of him having a child out of wedlock was unfathomable enough. Breaking up with her and raising Marcus separately almost put her in an early grave. She would come around - a grandchild would do that to a woman - but she was forever badgering him to settle down with someone, anyone. It didn't help that his older sister was married off and popping out kids left and right (she'd already given him two nieces and he had a sneaking suspicion a third was on the way). 

The ladies room door swung open and Beth's tiny, blonde sister came into his view. She stopped short when she noticed him standing opposite of her. She moved so that she was out of the way of any passersby and looked him up and down. His eyes tracked her movements but his face didn't give away what he was thinking. They stared at each other for a moment before she couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer.

"Did the brooding, menacing look work for Beth?” Annie asked dryly, wiping slightly damp hands on her jeans. 

Rio smirked and leaned back against the wall behind him, hands in his pockets. He was sure he could banter back and forth with the Mark's sisters for hours and not get bored. "Don't know you should ask her."

Her face scrunched up and she tilted her head to the side. "You're kind of an off limits topic these days."

“Yeah?” He asked, curiously.

“Yep.” She answered, popping the ‘p’ dramatically. “Seeing you tonight will probably make my job of getting her over you much harder. So thanks.”

He shrugged but his jaw clenched at the thought of Beth getting over him. “Coincidence.”

“So you don't have a tracking device on her cell?” Annie joked but her eyes narrowed as if she wasn’t entirely sure.

Rio ignored her though and asked the question he really wanted an answer to. “She doing okay?”

She had looked okay. Better than okay, actually and he couldn’t decide if that made him relieved or happy or annoyed.

“It's Beth. Even if she's not she won't tell you.”

“Yeah but you’re her sister. You know.”

Annie sighed. She glanced back behind her to make sure that she was out of Beth’s sight. They were hidden in the dark hallway and she turned back around when she was satisfied. “She's sad but she's not like - drowning in misery. She'll be fine.”

“And she ain't back with the ex?” He wasn’t pretty sure that she wasn’t but he needed one hundred percent confirmation.

Annie shuddered and his mouth turned up in a small smile. If anything, he was glad that he and Beth’s sister were on the same page about one thing. “God, no. I don't particularly like you but I promise you I will not encourage her to ever get back together with that douche canoe."

She paused and then narrowed her eyes at him in question. "Why do you care?"

He considered evading the question but just shoved his hands deeper into his pockets before answering vaguely. "Just curious."

Annie nodded in acknowledgment but her eyes brightened when a light bulb flicked on in her head. "You don't want to be with her but you don't want her to be with anyone else is that how it works?"

He shook his head and scoffed indignantly. "I ain't never said I didn't want to be with her. And she can be with whoever she wants. Just don't want her settling for some jackass cause she's lonely."

"Beth's stronger than she looks." Annie shot back quickly, although she was sure he already knew that.

A moment passed, and then two, both staring the other down. Rio had nothing left to say and Annie stood strong, unwilling to give him any more information he didn't directly ask for. When it was clear he wasn't going to say anything else, she threw her hands up in the air and pointed in the direction of the dining room.

"Is that all or can I be dismissed?"

He waved his hand out in front of him as if giving her permission to leave. She rolled her eyes but moved to walk away from him. She didn't get far though. She stopped in her tracks and he pushed off the wall he had been leaning against to turn his body towards her. He watched her swing back around to face him slowly. She regarded him wearily, and he let her. After a moment of nothing, he arched an eyebrow at her in question.

"Something to say?" He asked, growing impatient.

Annie sighed and tucked a piece of hair behind her hair. She was hesitant to even say what was on her mind but she loved her sister - owed everything to her - and she wanted to see her happy.

"We barely ever knew our dad and our mom is...not a very good mother. Beth basically raised me."

Rio kept quiet but his eyes bore into Annie’s and it was clear he was listening intently to every word she said. 

"She met Dean when she was sixteen and she stayed with him for way longer than she should have because he liked to take care of her and she never had that for herself before." She stopped to gather her thoughts before continuing. She was airing a lot of Beth's personal shit to a near stranger and while she felt slightly guilty about it, she got a vibe from him. She wasn't sure what it was or why but he seemed like he might actually care.

"_Thank God_ she didn't settle for him because he's way too fucking boring for her but she deserves to be with someone like that. Someone that will take care of her - in _all _ways - but will still support the fact that she's really independent and strong and fucking all-around awesome. Ya know?" She paused to make sure what she was saying was sinking in and she watched as he nodded along at the words she was saying.

"So if you're not gonna be that guy for her than just let her find someone who will. Because for whatever reason she’s really into you. She’s doing a really good job of pretending she's fine but you basically broke her heart. Way more than the dude she was with for ten years. So do her a favor and either be all in or just go away."

Rio chewed on his lower lip in thought. He was slightly put off by the young girl in front of him. Affronted at the fact that she felt like she had any right to butt into his business. had any right to tell him what to do. But he also admired her strength and respected the fact that she clearly cared about her sister.

"She's lucky to have you." Rio finally said. It was the only acknowledgement that he had heard what she’d said.

Annie rolled her eyes. "Tell her that."

And then she turned and walked off leaving Rio by himself, deep in thought. 

***

Beth was curled up on the couch one night later that week three seasons deep into her current TV show binge. It was after nine and she saw a long night of television in her future.

She heard a car approach the house in the distance but thought nothing of it until a quiet knock sounded on her door a moment later. She lifted her head up to listen but it wasn't until a second knock came, more forceful this time, that she was certain of what she'd heard. She threw her blanket off of her lap and sat up. Her heart pounded in her chest because only one person ever used her basement entrance.

She approached the door slowly and took a deep breath as she flicked the outside light on and swung the door open. She found herself more relieved than surprised to see Rio standing in front of her. The black hood of his sweatshirt was lifted over his head and his hands were shoved into the pockets at his stomach. She could tell he lacked his usual confidence, he seemed more hesitant than she'd ever seen him before, so she gave him a small smile in reassurance.

"Hey." He said softly, his eyes dark, his expression serious.

"Hi." She returned and she held the door open wider so that he could walk in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end has come! I hope you all enjoy and are satisfied with the ending (I've come to discover that endings are NOT my strong suit). I can't thank you enough for the all of the comments and kind words and support for my first multi-chapter Brio fic! More to come :-) Please feel free to come chat with me or send me fic prompts over on Tumblr (lilliloves). You guys are the best!

Beth was curled up on the couch one night later that week three seasons deep into her current TV show binge. It was after nine and she saw a long night of television in her future.

She heard a car approach the house in the distance but thought nothing of it until a quiet knock sounded on her door a moment later. She lifted her head up to listen but it wasn't until a second knock came, more forceful this time, that she was certain of what she'd heard. She threw her blanket off of her lap and sat up. Her heart pounded in her chest because only one person ever used her basement entrance.

She approached the door slowly and took a deep breath as she flicked the outside light on and swung the door open. She found herself more relieved than surprised to see Rio standing in front of her. The black hood of his sweatshirt was lifted over his head and his hands were shoved into the pockets at his stomach. She could tell he lacked his usual confidence, he seemed more hesitant than she'd ever seen him before, so she gave him a small smile in reassurance.

"Hey." He said softly, his eyes dark, his expression serious.

"Hi." She returned and she held the door open wider so that he could walk in.

He didn't move to walk inside though, just pushed his hands further down into the pockets of his sweatshirt.

Beth's hand gripped the door knob and she knitted her brows in confusion. She tilted her head to the side and looked at him in question.

He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Will you come with me somewhere?" 

She bit down on her lower lip and pondered his question. Her first instinct was to say yes without a second thought. She would go with him anywhere. But here he was, on her doorstep, after weeks of no contact (other than their brief run in) and she knew she needed to tread lightly. 

"Where?" She asked hesitantly. She watched him sigh but she was determined not to give in to him that easily.

"Can you just trust me?" His voice was rough as he answered her question with his own.

"Why should I?" 

"I just want to take you somewhere. And I want to talk to you." Beth thought he sounded like he was pleading with her but she had to be imagining it because the thought of Rio pleading with anyone for anything was outrageous. Regardless, her guard lowered.

"Hold on." She relented.

She turned to head back into her apartment, not closing the door but also not inviting him to wait inside. She made her way into her bathroom and checked her appearance in the mirror. She didn't have on any makeup and there was a small stain from her wine on the t-shirt she wore. She groaned quietly but didn't make a move to change. She grabbed an over-sized sweater and pulled it over her head. It worked fine with her leggings - she wasn't about to take the time to make herself look presentable. She slid her feet into her flip flops that were near her bedroom door and retrieved her purse and phone from where they sat on the living room couch. She picked up the remote and clicked off the television.

She could pretend that she was angry at him for interrupting her evening but she was more intrigued than anything.

Where did he want to take her? Why did he want to take her there? _Why was she letting him?_

Maybe she didn't have all the answers but she could guess on the last one.

She was a goner for him and no amount of time apart had changed that.

She took one last deep breath before she made her way back to him. He stood on her door step where she had left him but his body was turned away from her. His head swung back around when he heard her approach and he gave her a small smile when she shut the door behind her.

"Thank you." He said quietly, leading the way up to his car and she was certain he had never thanked her for anything.

She nodded in response but didn't speak, just followed him to where his car was parked. She let him open the passenger door for him and she gave him a small smile as she slid into the front seat. He shut the door and she watched as he casually made his way around the front of the car to the driver's side. She slouched down in the leather seat of his car and looked around - this was the first time she had been in his car and it seemed like a momentous occasion.

Her first, and only, thought before he got into the car was that the interior was immaculate. She wasn't surprised exactly but she did find that the small detail said a lot about him. She heard the pull of the door handle and saw it swing open. He got in gracefully, he did everything with such ease, and she couldn't help but look at him. She watched him start the car, watched him adjust the temperature, watched him look behind his shoulder before pulling out into the street. It struck her that everything he did was with confidence and swagger. She envied him and his ability to appear so _cool _at all times.

She glanced around his car for any small clue into his world but there was nothing out of place. She turned around and eyed the backseat. The only evidence that the car even belonged to him was the booster seat behind her.

"Your car is freakishly clean." She pointed out because it was true but also, the silence was killing her. 

He smirked but didn't take his eyes off the road. "Just the way I like it."

She settled back into her seat and looked out the window. They were headed outside of her neighborhood and she watched as he pulled onto the freeway and headed towards downtown. 

"Rio, what's going on?" She asked when she couldn't take it anymore. She turned her head towards him and reached out to pull his hood off of his head so that she could see his face. She blushed when he glanced at her - maybe she'd been out of line to touch him - but the urge to do so couldn't always be helped. He'd showed up at her door unannounced and asked her to come with him - she couldn't be held responsible for her actions.

"I wanna show you somethin'." He said, flicking on his signal so that he could change lanes. He sped past several cars on his right and moved back towards the middle lane. Even the way he drove was attractive to her.

"I don't understand why you think it's okay to just show up and demand I come with you." She huffed because she had to at least pretend that she was more annoyed than curious. 

"Stop bein' difficult. We'll be there in five minutes and if you want to go home I'll take you right back." He answered, clicking his signal on once more as he veered right to exit the highway and make his way down the off-ramp.

She sighed but let it go. She was more focused on trying to figure out where they were going and she couldn't do that if she was wrapped up in conversation. After driving through several lights and taking several turns they pulled up to a large, brick building. It was nestled in in a quiet section of the city and looked like an old mill or factory that had been restored. 

She watched him maneuver his car into a parking spot on the street and kept her eyes firmly on his profile as he turned off the engine and looked at her. Their gazes locked for a minute before he reached out to tuck a piece of hair that had come loose from her ponytail behind her ear. She closed her eyes at the feeling of his fingertips on her cheek and tried her hardest not to shiver at his touch.

Her eyes flew open when she felt the absence of him and she watched as he exited the car. She didn't give him the opportunity to walk around and open the door, but pushed it open on her own and got out as he was circling the trunk. He stopped and watched her but didn't say a word as she approached him.

"Where are we?" She asked but she had a sneaking suspicion she knew the answer.

He nodded for her to follow him, and she did. He swiped a key card to let them into the building and pulled the door open, stepping back so that she could enter in front of him.

She walked into the lobby of an apartment building - but not just any apartment building - a fancy one with a doorman and a sitting area and a fireplace. It was luxurious and inviting and did not at all fit the Rio she had come to know.

He walked ahead of her and waved to the doorman sitting at the security desk to their left. They greeted each other warmly and it was the official moment that Beth knew where Rio had taken her.

"Elizabeth." She heard him call and her eyes made once last glance around her before her legs starting working again and she was able to follow him. The grin on his face was all knowing and she blushed at the fact that she was so in awe.

She didn't say anything, only followed him to the bank of elevators. He pressed the up button and the two waited, side by side, for their ride to arrive. Neither spoke but the tension was evident. Questions swirled between them but she bit her tongue to hold back, anxious to let him show her what he wanted to, let him tell her what he wanted to, on his own terms.

The elevator opened in front of them and she moved to get on before him. She stepped to the back and turned so that she was leaning against the wall. He mimicked her actions after pressing the button for the top floor.

The air crackled. She wished that someone else had joined them on the ride up to the tenth floor because being alone with him in such an enclosed space was wreaking havoc on her senses. She risked a glance over to him, making sure not to turn her body or move her head to give herself away, but he was already looking at her.

"Nothing to say?" He said, breaking the silence. His voice was low and rough but boisterous in the small space.

"Lots to say." She answered honestly, facing forward instead of meeting his eyes. "But I'm waiting."

She saw him nod in her peripheral and the conversation halted for the remainder of the ride. When the elevator car stopped and the doors opened, she let him take the lead. There were only three apartments on the floor that she could tell and his, she soon discovered, was at the furthest end of the hall.

He pulled his keys from his pocket and inserted the right one into the lock. He pushed the door open and she took a deep breath in before following. The apartment, if you could call it that, was a completely open space that took her breath away. It was all large windows and wooden beams. It was impeccably decorated and her jaw dropped when she saw the view from his windows - the Detroit river and skyline. 

Her eyes moved everywhere, all at once, and she was unable to take in everything the way she wanted to. There were two separate rooms to her left that were closed off from the open concept of the living room, dining room and kitchen. She assumed they were bedrooms and was proven right when she peaked inside to see what she presumed was Rio's room and a child's bedroom respectively. 

She was overwhelmed. She could sense Rio's eyes on her from where she stood. He was leaning against the kitchen island watching her, waiting. Her gaze flicked over to him and she was struck by how well he fit into the space. How right it was. She'd pictured where he might live a million times and although she hadn't imagined this, she was pleasantly surprised at what she saw. 

"Why did you take me here?" She asked, because yes it was a beautiful place and yes she wanted to see more of it - all of it - but more than that she wanted to know what was going on in his head. Because all of this aside, things had ended between them and as far as she knew nothing had changed. 

He shrugged in a way that only Rio could and continued to stay leaning against the counter in his kitchen. "You wanted to see it, right?"

She swallowed and moved closer to him. She kept a fair amount of distance between them - being too close to him would affect her ability to hold a proper conversation. 

"That was when we were together. We're not together anymore." 

He pushed off of the counter and met her in the middle of the room. She looked up at him, she'd forgotten how much taller than her he was. She refused to waver under his stare and mentally patted herself on the back when she didn't give into the overwhelming urge to jump him.

"I thought maybe we could revisit that." He said quietly, but confidentially. She reeled back in surprise, eyes wide. She replayed the words over again in her head, and then once more just to be sure, before she spoke the only word she could think to say.

"Rio." It sounded almost like a warning. Sounded like with just the one word she was telling him that he better be serious.

"Elizabeth." He volleyed back, a small smile on his lips. He stepped forward towards her but she took one step back and he narrowed his eyes at her as she spoke up. Her tone was borderline annoyed and he noticed.

"Stop playing games. You're the one that told me not to do it." 

"I ain't playin' games." He shot back determinedly. He pulled his hands from his pockets and reached out as if he might grab hold of her waist but stopped before he could make contact. 

"I'm trying." He said, changing up his answer slightly as if it might satisfy her more. If anything it made things worse.

"Trying to do _what?" _She asked with frustration because he wasn't giving her anything and she was more confused then ever as to what he wanted. As to what this was all about. As to why he couldn't just let her move on.

"Trying to give you what you want." She could tell that he wasn't purposefully being obtuse, wasn't purposefully giving her vague responses, but regardless it was exactly what he was doing. 

So she changed tactics.

"It's too late for that."

"Why? You moved on?" He asked, and she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes because of course that's what he was focused on.

"I - " She started to speak but stopped. No, she hadn't moved on but not all that long ago she had begged him to give her what she wanted - even a fraction of what she wanted - and he had refused. As far as she was concerned, that was still the case.

"Pretty sure you're not back with Dan." He said before she could continue.

She exhaled a breath and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff. "Dean. And I'm not. You know that."

"So?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"It's not just about that. It's not about that _at all _actually." She answered, and then added quietly. "You hurt me."

He sighed and dropped his head for a moment before looking back up at her, dead set on meeting her gaze even though she was doing everything in her power not to make eye contact. He reached out and cupped her chin with his hand to keep her head steady and eyes focused on him before he acknowledged her confession. 

"I know that. I'm trying to make up for it."

"What's different?" 

He dropped his hand and she immediately missed the contact. She kept talking before he could answer her question.

"I mean, why do you suddenly want to give me what I want? Why are you suddenly willing to bring me to your apartment? Why do you want to make up for hurting me now?" She could go on, could list a million other things but this was a good start and it seemed to point him in the right direction of where the conversation needed to go.

"You got me all fucked up." He admitted with a shrug as if he was finally resigned to it.

"What does that _mean?_" She was desperate now - practically ready to get down on her knees and beg him to give her clarity. She was fearful, suddenly, that he just was not _capable _of being what she needed as much as she wished he was.

And then he went and proved her wrong. Again.

"I was real good before I met you. My _life _was real good. And then you fucked everything up and I can't even figure out what it is. It's just everything. All of you. I just want it." He rolled his neck, stopping for a moment to figure out his next words. The only sign that he was not feeling quite as casual as he came across was the clench of his jaw. 

"I'm sick of not havin' it. So if you wanna sleep at my place and you wanna hang out with my kid and you wanna go on double dates with your friends I'm good with that. I just wanna be able to have you whenever I want." 

Her heart was thumping in her chest and she thought she might fall over from his admission but one thing still wasn't clear. "And to clarify you don't mean that you want to be able to have sex with me whenever you want?"

"No." He said forcefully and quickly with a strong shake of his head. It was all he was going to say and, for now, it was enough.

"So you just suddenly changed your mind because...you miss me?" She asked slowly because if you added up all of what he was saying it seemed to come down to that one simple thing.

He looked down at his feet and chuckled.

"Yeah." He said, before looking up at her. "I miss you."

He reached for her arm and turned her gently, guiding her until she was pressed with her back against the couch. She perched on the edge of it and he moved to step in between her legs.

She released a breath at the same time that Rio bent his head towards her own, mouth hovering just below her ear. 

"Just to be clear - I do wanna be able to have sex with you whenever I want."

She grinned and placed her hands on his chest.

"Got it." She answered with a nod because, same.

He lowered his forehead so that it was pressed against hers.

"It's not normal how bad I wanna touch you." He said roughly and the ache she had felt since the last time she was with him _exploded _and she was done for. She would never be able to comprehend how someone could make her feel like this.

Beth moved her hands up his chest and around his neck. She was tired of not touching him. 

"So do something about it."

He laughed and scraped her jaw with his teeth. He kissed her cheek and then below her ear and then moved back to her lips. He paused though, before he could make contact. She leaned forward, tired of waiting, but he pulled back - just far enough so that she could see the smirk on his face. 

He moved his hands up so that they were cupping her neck. His thumbs brushed lightly against her collarbone. 

"Tell me what you want." He asked, peppering kisses across her throat. He sucked just below her earlobe and pressed his hips into hers. She could feel his hardness dig into her hip and she gasped. The combination of the sound of his voice and the feel of his touch was enough to send her brain into overdrive. She didn't have the ability to function when her senses were on fire like this. It wasn't fair that he could make her feel so intensely.

He was waiting for her to respond and it took her a moment to remember the question he had asked.

"Rio." She pleaded. She was hot everywhere and the words she wanted to say were scrambled - she couldn't think let alone speak - there was no way she could form an answer to his question. He knew what she wanted. It was obvious to them both what she needed.

He groaned at how desperate she sounded as she whined his name. He slid his hands under her shirt to grip her waist. He either didn't care that she hadn't answered or was just tired of waiting because his mouth slid over hers and the relief they both felt was palpable. 

It wasn't a new kiss. They'd kissed hundreds of times but this one felt different. It was teasing at first and then deeper and hungry and dangerous but it felt like the start of _something_.

Rio moved his hands farther up her shirt and around so that he was unfastening her bra with an expert hand. He pulled her sweater off and she wiggled her arms so that her bra fell down them and to the floor. He moved to kneel down in front of her but she stopped him so that she could lift his own sweatshirt and t-shirt over his head. She watched as the muscles in his arms flexed and he lifted her up from her thighs. She shrieked in surprise but wrapped her legs around his waist willingly. She was giddy.

He nipped at her bottom lip as he walked them into his bedroom. He dropped her to the bed and grabbed her thighs so that she didn't drop them. He pressed himself into her center and she moaned at the contact. 

He made quick work of ridding her of her pants and underwear and she shivered at the chill from her sudden nakedness. His eyes skimmed the length of her and she watched as he licked his lips slowly. It was obvious that he liked the sight in front of him - it had always been obvious. She couldn't help but think for the hundredth time how much she'd missed him.

She didn't have time to linger on the thought though because his mouth was all over her. His lips marked a trail along her thighs and over her stomach. He sucked at her chest moving back and forth between her breasts, trading off between sucking and biting and licking. 

It was intense but it all felt easy and familiar and _right._

Her focus snapped back to attention when he pushed up and off of her. She watched him as he reached over to his bedside table to grab a condom and then pushed down his jeans. She couldn't help but stare at his hard on - couldn't help but feel possessive at the sight of him in front of her.

And for the first time when she thinks he's _mine _it's actually the truth.

He placed both of his hands at either side of her head and their gazes locked. His eyes were dark and needy and she lifted her head to place a dirty kiss against his lips. He lifted one hand to plunge it into her hair and deepen the kiss - forcing his tongue through her lips and teeth, pulling the breath from out of her chest. 

She sighed and he caught it with his lips as a moan escaped her. He pulled back and her nails dug deep into the skin at his sides. She could feel the goosebumps rise on his skin. 

He looked at her. Really _looked _at her and she reached down between them to give him a slight squeeze. He hissed, his hips jerking at her touch and a savage growl ripped from him as she continued stroking. 

He grabbed the condom that laid next to them, ripping it open.

He pushed her hand aside and rolled the condom on and before she could even prepare herself he lined himself up between her legs and plunged inside. They both groaned in gratification and moved together effortlessly.

"So good." She heard him mutter. He gripped her ass and slammed in and out of her and Beth felt herself shatter apart at the pleasure. He was not gentle with her and she was glad for it. Their hips rolled back and forth. Her nails scratched down his back and one of his hands cupped her breast, squeezing hard.

Too quickly she felt the first sign of her climax and before long pleasure seeped into every inch of her and she was coming, loudly. He continued to pump in and out of her chasing his own release. She was a trembling mess as he pushed in one last time and then jerked, coming inside of her.

He collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her arms around his back to pull him impossibly closer. They laid there, still for a moment, until he pushed up onto his hands with a smirk. Before he could say whatever it was that he was thinking she lifted her head and planted a hard kiss against his lips.

They still had so much more ground to cover, so much more to talk about, but for now they were both content to just be.

*** 

Beth blew a piece of hair out of her face as she looked around at the empty basement apartment she stood in. She couldn't believe that it had been almost six months since she'd moved in. Couldn't believe how much her life had _changed _in that six months.

"You know you don't have to move out, right?" She hard Ruby say as she approached her from the side. 

Beth turned to look at her very pregnant friend and smiled.

"You're only saying that because you want an extra pair of hands around when that baby decides to show up." Beth said jokingly, reaching out to rub her friends stomach.

"_If _that baby ever decides to show up you mean?" Ruby groaned, reaching around to rest her hand on her back to lessen the weight of her belly. She was closing in on her due date and there was no sign that Baby Hill was appearing anytime soon.

"Why the rush for dirty diapers and screaming babies?" Annie asked as she exited Beth's bedroom, a box in her hand. 

Beth and Ruby both rolled their eyes and Beth reached out to grab the last box from her sister's arms. She dropped it on the floor in front of her and sighed.

"I'm moving out but I'll be here to help whenever you need me." Beth said encouragingly before turning to glare at her sister. "And so will you."

The sound of the basement door opening had the three women swinging their heads in it's direction. Beth smiled when she saw Rio enter. He looked exhausted and ready to get the hell out of here but he gave her a small smile when their eyes met. He glanced down at her feet and groaned when he saw the box sitting there.

"More?" He asked, but leaned down to grab it. 

"That's the last one." She said, an apologetic smile on her face. He hoisted the box up into his arms and leaned forward so that he was right in her face. She expected him to kiss her but he stopped before their lips could meet. 

"You owe me."

She blushed as he pulled back without giving her what she wanted. She watched him turn and walk out the door before her gaze moved back to her sister and friend. She rolled her eyes when she saw their knowing looks and waved them off.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Ruby asked with a smirk, raising her eyebrows.

"Like we know you're about to leave and have hot, sweaty sex with the new boyfriend you're moving in with after only five minutes of dating?" Annie added, hands on her hips.

Beth ignored her and moved to walk around the apartment one last time to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. When she was confident there was nothing left in the space she returned to stand with her friends. They were still looking at her with those eyes and she caved.

"What do you want me to say?"

"That you know you're crazy?" Annie suggested, looking to Ruby for support.

"I'm not crazy. And it's only temporary until I find my own place." Beth answered. Even she was surprised at how steady she was able to keep her voice because it was a blatant lie and they all knew it.

"_This_ was only temporary until you found your own place." Ruby reminded her and Annie nodded in agreement. Beth hated when they ganged up on her.

It had only been about a month since she and Rio had reunited and things were _good. _They had spent almost every night together since and Rio was taking to being in a relationship surprisingly well. They were easing their way into certain things - Marcus for instance. Rio wasn't against the two hanging out and Beth had spent some time with the four year old - but she had suggested, and Rio had agreed, that maybe they work to figure out their own stuff first before Marcus became too attached to the idea of them. 

It had been a worthy idea and one that had worked for a bit but the truth of the matter was that they were solid. They just felt right and now that Beth was moving in with Rio she was certain things would change.

And she couldn't wait.

She had been looking for her own apartment but only very loosely. She hadn't been expecting Rio to ask her to move in with him but when he had seen her scrolling through rental options he'd looked at her as if she were crazy. He'd initially thought that Ruby and Stan were kicking her out but when she'd explained her six month time limit - and how it was quickly running out - he'd told her that she should just move in with him. 

_"Remember a month ago when you wouldn't even consider being my boyfriend?" She asked, in shock at his suggestion. _

_He shrugged but never took his eyes off of the television he was watching. "I'm doing good at it though, yeah?"_

_She nodded slowly. "Yes."_

_"Doesn't have to be a big thing." He said, finally turning to look at her. He smirked when he saw the expression on her face. _

_"Moving in together is a big deal, Rio." She said, because it was and she hated him for being so nonchalant about something so serious. She and Dean had been together for eight years before they'd taken the step and look how that had worked out._

_"We'll test it out. If you don't like it, you can find your own place. I'll help you." He said. He lifted his leg so that his foot sat perched on his knee and clicked through to find something else to watch._

_"If I don't like it?" She asked incredulously. She pushed the remote out of his hand and swung her leg so that she straddled his lap. She wanted his full attention if they were going to have this conversation._

_He adjusted to the weight of her and let his hands fall to rest at her hips. "That's what I said, yeah."_

_"What about if you don't like it?" She replied, emphasizing the 'you.' _

_"I'll kick you out." He joked, but his eyes were bright and the corner of his mouth turned up._

_"Rio." She groaned, lifting her hands up to rest on his shoulders._

_"I want you to move in with me." He said, gaze locked in on hers and she knew that he was serious this time. _

And that had been that. Because when she thought about it that was what she had wanted all along.

"I thought you guys liked Rio?" Beth asked, brows knitted, as she pulled herself out of her own thoughts.

"We do." Ruby said, and Beth appreciated how quickly she made sure to let her know it.

It had been the first test to them being in a real relationship and Beth could confidently say she had never been more nervous than when Rio had come over to spend time with Ruby and Stan and Annie and Greg.

Of course she had worried for no reason because when Rio wanted to be he was perfectly charming and friendly and personable. He and Stan had even been able to bond over his prior criminal history and - at least Beth liked to think - laugh about how it was all in his past.

The three girls made their way towards the door. Beth assumed that Rio was waiting for her by the car. He and Stan had graciously helped her move all of her boxes and had spent the last few hours loading up both her and Rio's cars. 

"I only like him because he listened to me." Annie said. Beth was the last out of the apartment and she said a quiet goodbye to the place she had called home for the last few months.

They moved towards the driveway, but Beth stopped in her tracks when Annie's words sunk in. 

"Listened to you about what?" She asked her sister, confusion etched across her face.

Annie laughed and shook her head. "Ask him."

So Beth made a note to do exactly that.

They made their way over to where Rio and Stan stood in the driveway. Beth's eyes looked Rio up and down. His arms were crossed over his chest and his lean muscles were pulled tight against his t-shirt. He laughed at something Stan said, his head fell back and his smile was wide and she felt a punch to her gut at the sight. She continued to be surprised at the fact that she was still so insanely attracted to him. Every time she saw him butterflies attacked her stomach and a flush appeared on her cheeks. When her eyes met his she blushed brighter because he'd caught her - he caught her every single time.

And she was certain that even with all of the changes in her life and in his - that would be something that stayed the same for a very long time.


End file.
